Long Lost
by baby-gabby
Summary: The crew finds a little girl on their ship after leaving an island. Unable to take her back to the island, they decide to keep the orphan with them. But is it normal for a 3 year old to be so smart? And what other secrets is she keeping? Rated for language and adult themes in later chapters
1. Prologue

A young woman walked along the dark path. Her cloak hid her figure and face completely. _Why did this guy have to live so far in the forest?_ She didn't mind the walk so much, it was the creepy dark aura the forest itself seemed to have. She finally spotted the old shack at the base of the mountain. _It's no wonder he's an outcast_ she thought. The small hut was adorned with many eccentric decorations. There were several tiki torches around the shack, shrunken heads hung on the doorway, bones scattered about, and what looked to be a summoning circle a few feet from the tiny house. The closest thing to normal was a few dream-catchers hanging off a nearby tree.

The old man that came out the door was just as eccentric as the hut. He was thin although it was difficult to tell under the rags and large hooded robe he wore. He had dark shadows under his eyes and black feathers in his ratted hair. He motioned for the young woman to come inside.

"You understand this will take the years from your life?"

"I understand. I am willing to go through with it"

"How many years would you like me to take?"

"... 17"

"That many? Are you sure?"

"What would be the point of giving up few years?"

"I see. But you are still so young. Who will watch after your son?"

"I have a brother... but I know not where he is"

"After the ritual, I can send you to him. It won't be directly, but I can get you close"

"Will you watch after my son until I return?"

"I will. Might I ask why such a specific number?"

"You may, but you will not get a response. I'm ready"


	2. Guard Duty

**Title: Long Lost**

**Disclaimer: I do not own one piece**

The Thousand Sunny pulled up to the dock. There didn't seem to be anything unusual about the island,  
so Nami went ahead and just docked at the south side of the town. Nami jumped off the ship and ran to a local sitting on the dock.  
"Hey, I just had a few questions about the island..." Nami began.  
"You're a pirate, aren't you?" the young woman quickly interrupted.  
"Uh, yeah. Is that going to be a problem on this island?" Nami asked nervously. The young local began to laugh. "No, the townspeople here love pirates!" the woman explained. "They aren't bounty hunters by any chance, are they?" Nami blurted out. The young woman laughed again.  
" I heard about that criminal organization welcoming pirates to get their bounties. Funny enough, some other pirates came through and asked the same question. No, most of our business comes from pirates buying supplies when they pass through. Pirates in town means more money in our pockets. Pretty ironic, huh?" the girl explained.

"So we don't need to worry about the marines on this island?" Nami asked. The girl got a dark look on her face. "They show up every once in a while, but they aren't welcome here. Their presence means trouble for us" the girl explained. "Why is that?" Nami asked. She was confused that the town would be so against those who were supposed to help them. "When they show up, they always break something," she explained, "Their only goal is to capture the pirates, they don't care how much damage they do in their attempts. The pirates cause less damage when they fight. Probably because they don't want any damage done to the things they're buying, but it's better than having the marines around. The marines only cause loss of money due to repairs and less sales. They're nothing more than trained idiots with a delusional sense of justice."  
"What about when pirates try to steal or take over?" Nami asked. The girl smiled, "Then the other pirates take care of it. They don't want the town to stop trusting pirates. It's about three weeks until you'll reach another island. A pretty long time if you run out of food or have a damaged ship. Our trust in the pirates is crucial to both the town and the pirates."  
"Thanks for the information," Nami called while walking back to the ship.

"Okay everyone, we'll draw straws to see who stays on the ship," Nami commanded loudly, climbing back on the ship. She pulled out six straws for the crew to draw from.  
"How come there's only six straws?" Zoro asked.  
"Because I'm not going to stay, and Copper and Sanji need to get supplies. It will be about three weeks before we reach another island," Nami snapped. "Now just draw straws" Everyone reached out and grabbed a straw. Zoro had drawn the short straw.  
"Okay, everyone will meet back here in three hours," Nami announced, "We don't need to worry about the marines too much,  
they don't usually stop by this island." Luffy had already run off the ship to find the nearest restaraunt to get his fill of meat,  
the others followed to do their shopping. Zoro looked around the deck.  
"Great, I'm on guard duty. Oh well, I guess I can just take a nap," he said as he lay down on the grass. Just after he fell asleep, a small girl walked on board. She looked over at the sleeping swordsman and giggled. _His hair blends in with the grass_ she thought. She crept past him and below deck to explore the ship.

Sorry about the late update, things just kept coming up! hope you guys like it!


	3. Caught

**Disclaimer: I do not own one piece**

It had been two hours since everyone left the ship. Usopp and Franky had already returned their supplies to the ship and left to  
browse the shops for anything that might interest them, both ignoring the sleeping swordsman. Robin, after buying a few books  
she found interesting, had returned and decided to wait on deck for the rest of the crew to arrive while she read one of her new books.  
Brooke had only left briefly, afraid that he might frighten the townspeople. Apparently the town had seen odd things before, so paid  
no mind to a talking skeleton. Sanji and Chopper were just returning.

"Looks like the shitty swordsman slept the whole time," Sanji remarked, "how is he supposed to watch the ship if he isn't even  
awake at all?" Franky returned from his browsing. He was just walking back on the ship when everyone heard a commotion.  
"Hurry up and set sail!" Nami yelled. She, Usopp, and Luffy were running at the ship, with hundreds of marines close behind.  
At that moment, the merchants and townspeople came running straight into the path of the marines with clubs, torches, and  
anything else they could find to stall the marines. Chopper ran to pull up the anchor, while the rest hurried to set sail. With the  
last three safely on board, they set off full speed away from the island.  
"I thought you said we didn't need to worry about any marines, Nami," Luffy said innocently. "I said they don't stop at this island  
often, I didn't say that they NEVER stop at this island! Did you forget about the bounty on your head?" Nami yelled.

"Oh yeah," he replied, with his signature grin. Nami opened her mouth to reprimand her captain further when Zoro sat up. "Did I miss  
anything?" he asked. "You were sleeping when you were supposed to be watching the ship?" she shouted. Large, green eyes watched  
the whole scene from the shadows around the corner. The little girl quietly slipped back below deck. "Did everyone at least get what they needed?" Nami asked. "I believe so. Everyone was just returning when you showed up," Robin replied. "Okay, where was I..." Nami began  
as she went back to scolding the captain and first mate.

Robin headed for a quieter place to read while Nami blew off some steam. She headed down to the library. She paused at the door when  
she heard what sounded like somebody rummaging through her books. She silently opened the door to see a very young girl looking through  
some of her history books. The girl had short, soft brown hair and was wearing what looked to be nothing more than dirty rags. Her back was turned to Robin and she hadn't heard her enter the room. She looked like she couldn't be any older than four years old, at most.

"Have you found something interesting?" Robin asked cooly. The little girl instantly dropped the book and whirled around to face Robin.  
Her green eyes had become bigger (although it didn't seem possible that they could get any bigger) when she saw that she had been caught  
on the pirate ship. Robin smiled softly, but her smile just seemed to frighten the little one even more. The young girl quickly ran past Robin  
and made a break for the edge of the ship, unaware that they were no longer at the island. Sanji was in the galley and Zoro had gone back  
to sleep after Nami had threatened to triple his debt if he slept on watch again. Everyone else was on the deck and watched in astonishment  
as a small girl ran past all of them, climbed up on the railing, and jumped off the ship.

_hope you guys like it! ^.^ reviews are appreciated!_


	4. Emerald

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

Everyone jumped up and ran to the edge of the ship. Looking down, they saw a struggling little girl in a pair of arms. Robin calmly walked over and pulled the girl back onto the ship. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. As young as you are, I don't think you would be able to swim very well," She said smiling. "I'll take my chances with the seakings," the little girl retorted. "Where did you come from?" Nami asked sweetly. The little girl gave a mischievous smirk, "As old as you are, I think you should know where babies come from by now." Nami's jaw dropped at being talked to in such a way by a little girl.

"She meant where are your parents. They must be worried about you," Robin replied. The young girl glared at her. "They're dead and dead people don't care what happens to me. Bet you feel like a real bitch now, bringing up the fact that I don't have parents," the little girl barked. Her face was serious as if talking about having no parents didn't bother her in the slightest. She started to look around, as she hadn't paid any attention to anything but the girls talking to her. Her eyes suddenly fell on Brooke. Her face paled and she ran to get as far away from the skeleton as possible. She didn't dare look behind her to see if anyone was following.

She ran through an open door and ran straight into a pair of black legs. She stumbled backwards and looked up to see who had so rudely gotten in her way. Her features softened when she looked up into one blue eye surrounded by curtains of blonde hair. Sanji looked down at the little girl who ran into him. She was looking around with a confused look on her face. "What's wrong little lady?" he asked her softly. She looked up at him and replied, "I'm not sure where I am. I thought I was heading to the library, but this isn't the library. It looks like a kitchen." Sanji laughed. "This is the galley. You ran in the wrong direction. How did you get here anyway?" He asked.

"I sneaked on board when everyone was in town, but I was caught before I could get back off," she confessed, "Why do you care?" Sanji knelt so he was eye level with the little one. "I'm the cook on this pirate ship. You know you shouldn't be sneaking on pirate ships, it isn't safe. My name's Sanji, what's your name little lady?", Sanji responded. She studied his face for a moment before smiling, "Emerald," she said. Emerald turned when she heard footsteps approaching. Luffy stood in the doorway watching Emerald and Sanji.

"Hey, you found her Sanji! I'm hungry," Luffy stated. "I'll start on dinner. Go entertain yourself until it's done, I don't want you in here bothering me," Sanji replied. As soon as Luffy was gone, Emerald grabbed a chair and climbed up to watch what Sanji was doing. A small smile came to Sanji's lips as her big green eyes watched on in wonder. She watched for about five minutes before she turned her gaze to the cook. "Where's the bathroom?" she asked. "It's just down the hall on the right. Second door on the left," Sanji replied.

She left quickly and wandered down the hall. She was a little confused with the cook's directions, and soon found herself hopelessly lost.

Zoro finally woke up from his nap and headed below to use the bathroom. He stopped and looked around when he realized that he wound up in the men's quarters, not the bathroom. He looked around and his eyes fell upon a little girl with short brown hair and big, green eyes.  
His eyes widened as he looked at her. _I'm either seeing things or still dreaming_ he thought. He turned around and left the room, unaware that the girl was now following him. He quickly found the bathroom, but when he came out, the little girl was patiently waiting right outside.  
He ignored her, thinking it better not to interact with what he believed was an imaginary child. When he turned back around, he saw that she was no longer there. _Okay, I really am going crazy_ the swordsman thought.

He wandered away with the intention of going back to the deck. About twenty minutes later, he finds himself walking into the library. He lets out a frustrated groan. "Since when did Franky make the ship's rooms move?" he asked out loud. "He didn't, you just have the worst sense of direction known to man. Maybe you should get a map of the ship. Now would you be quiet, I'm trying to read here," came a reply behind him. The attitude in the voice sounded much older than the voice itself. Zoro turned around to see the same little girl sitting in a chair, reading a book that she certainly couldn't understand at her young age. This alone made Zoro believe even more that he was just hallucinating.

Just as Zoro was ready to leave the room through the same door he had entered, Robin came in from the opposite door. "Dinner will be ready soon. You should get washed up Emerald-san," Robin said. "Fine, but I don't need any help. I can take care of myself. Wait, how did you know my name?" Emerald replied. "Cook-san told us. If you would like, I can take your outfit and wash it while you bathe," Robin offered. Emerald just nodded and headed off towards the deck. "The bathroom is the other way," Robin corrected. As soon as Emerald left to wash, Robin turned her attention to the still disbelieving swordsman.

"What is wrong swordsman-san?" she questioned. Zoro snapped out of his daze and looked at Robin. "It's nothing, she just looks like someone I knew when I was young. That actually seems to happen a lot to me. Who is she anyway?" Zoro asked. "She is an orphan and a stowaway. She slipped on board while everyone was gone at the island we just left," she replied. Robin had said 'while everyone was gone' but Zoro knew that she meant 'while you were on watch'. Robin gave an understanding smile. "I will go clean her clothes. You should go back to the deck," She said, heading out the door Zoro had been ready to go through earlier. Zoro took this as a hint to go through the other door to reach the deck.

_One more chapter down! Hope you guys like it ^.^_


	5. Smart

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

Emerald made sure nobody was around before she went into the bathroom. She quickly took her clothes off and set them outside the door. She didn't want that woman walking in on her while she was in the bath. It wasn't that she was embarrassed about someone seeing her naked, she just didn't want anyone knowing about the scars on her body or asking how she had gotten them. It would difficult to explain some them. She paused with her small hands on the faucet to the tub. She changed her mind and decided that a shower would be a better idea. She was filthy and she didn't want to sit in her own filth.

Robin came around the corner and heard the shower turn on. Emerald's clothes were set outside the door. She took them and washed them quickly so the girl could wear them to dinner. She was surprised to find that they weren't rags but rather a simple dress. When she had first seen the girl, the dress had been covered in mud, dirt, oil, and various other things. Now that it was all cleaned, it was a pure white sundress. It looked like it had been made by hand, and made rather well. Robin ironed it so it would be nice and neat when Emerald put it on. She placed it on the doorknob so Emerald could have her privacy.

Zoro had made it back on the deck only to find dinner wouldn't be for a while still. He decided to take a nap while he was waiting. Or he planned to until Luffy came bounding over. "Hey Zoro, have you seen Emerald?" he asked, "I was gonna see if she wanted to play a game." Zoro cracked an eye open, "She's getting washed up for dinner." Luffy gave a pout, "But I'm booorrred," he whined. "So find a way to entertain yourself," Zoro sighed, closing his eye again. A moment later he felt a sharp poke on his forehead. He opened his eyes as Luffy poked him again. "What the hell are you doing?" Zoro growled. Luffy cracked a big grin, "entertaining myself," he said simply.

Emerald stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her shoulders. She looked around for her dress, but saw it wasn't anywhere in the bathroom. With a slight frown she went to the door and opened it to find her dress washed, dried, and ironed hanging on the doorknob. A small smile came to her face. Robin had allowed her complete privacy even though she was a child. She had expected her to bring the dress in the bathroom. _I guess she realized I wanted privacy_ she thought. The smile disappeared from her face. _Shit, she's really smart. I need to start acting my age or she's gonna start suspecting me of something_ she thought.

Emerald stepped back out on the deck, looking and feeling much better now that she was clean. Her eyes skimmed her surroundings. She didn't want to go anywhere near the skeleton. Everyone turned when they realized she had come out. "Wow," Nami said, voicing everyone's thoughts. Emerald looked completely different. Her hair fell in soft waves around her face, framing her big green eyes. With the dirt gone her tanned skin contrasted with her pure white dress. She had a number of scars on her legs and arms, but it didn't draw away from her beauty. Sanji stepped out of the galley. "Oi, dinners ready," he called to the crew. His brilliant blue eye fell on Emerald and he smiled. "You look beautiful, Emerald," he said smiling. Emerald put on a big smile, "I feel pretty too," she said grinning widely. Sanji scooped her up in his arms right before the crew came stampeding through to get to the table.

Emerald ended up seated across from Robin, right next to Chopper. She hadn't noticed the little doctor before and stared at him for a moment. Chopper realized that she was staring and put his head down, waiting for her to scream and call him a monster or run away like she did when she saw Brooke. A few seconds later he heard the scream, but didn't expect what happened next. Emerald threw her arms around the little reindeer. "He's so ADORABLE!" she screamed. Everyone turned their heads at the sound of Emerald screaming to see her little arms around Chopper's neck in a death grip. The reindeer's eyes were wide in surprise before his face started turning blue. Her grip was much stronger than he had expected, and now he couldn't get any air in his lungs.

Sanji pried Emerald off Chopper, laughing at the little girl's reaction. "Emerald, you have to let go. Our doctor needs to breathe," he told her. She sat up in her seat with a smile on her face. "Sorry, he looked like a cute stuffed animal," she apologized. Everyone started laughing at her mistaking Chopper for a stuffed toy. Even Chopper couldn't help but laugh, more from relief that the child wasn't scared of him. Sanji began setting the food on the table, making sure to give his ladies and the little girl their own special plates.

Nobody thought to tell Emerald to guard her food from Luffy and after she took one bite, the food was torn from her hands. She looked up, angry that her food had been stolen. Nobody seemed to notice as they were each guarding their own food. Sanji saw a rubber hand fly across the table in Luffy's second attempt to steal Emerald's food. He opened his mouth to yell at his captain for stealing a little girl's food when Luffy let out a yelp and quickly retracted his hand. Everyone fell silent as they turned to see what had happened. Luffy held his hand, a knife sticking straight out. "Don't touch my food," Emerald warned calmly. Zoro started laughing and everyone else joined in a moment later.

"So Emerald-san, where had you been staying before you came on the ship?" Robin asked, smiling, after everyone stopped laughing. The little girl stared for a moment before replying, "I don't like it when you smile. It scares me". The smile didn't leave Robin's lips as everyone started laughing again. "Who are you anyway? I know Sanji's name, but no one else has told me theirs," Emerald pointed out. "My name is Nico Robin," Robin answered, noting how clever the girl was when it came to changing subjects in order to avoid a question. "And you have the power of a devil fruit," Emerald stated. Robin merely nodded. _This girl is awfully smart for being so young. I wonder how she came to be so intelligent _Robin thought.

"Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm stupid," Emerald blurted out, pulling Robin out of her thoughts. Emerald kicked herself mentally for letting that slip out. _So much for keeping her from being suspicious_ she thought. "No I suppose not," Robin smiled. _I can't tell what's behind that smile! This woman is harder to figure out than any riddle_ Emerald reasoned.

_Hope you guys like it! This is my first story, so let me know if I'm doing a good job. If you have anything you would like to see in this story, just let me know! Constructive criticism is always welcome too ^.^_


	6. Talkative

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

Emerald got to know a little about everyone at dinner. She managed to avoid anymore situations with Robin. Now that dinner was over, Sanji and Zoro were doing the dishes. Emerald pulled up a chair and watched them as they washed and dried each dish. "Sanji, this doesn't seem like a normal pirate ship. Are all pirates like you guys?" she inquired. "No Emerald, most pirates aren't like us. You're lucky it was our ship you decided to explore," Sanji replied. "I'm glad I did," Emerald smiled, "do you speak any other languages Sanji?" Sanji nodded. "I speak French. Do you speak another language?" he asked. "Yeah, I speak Spanish," she replied. She sat quietly for just a moment.

"Sanji, why did you become a pirate?" Emerald asked. "I used to work in a restaurant, but I left with Luffy because I wanted to find All Blue," Sanji answered. "What's All Blue?" she asked innocently. "It's a sea with fish from North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, and West Blue," he told her. "Does it really exist?" she asked, her green eyes sparkling with wonder. Sanji couldn't help but smile, "most people don't think so, but I'll find it," he said, "what happened to your parents, Emerald?"

Emerald got quiet and turned her focus to the floor. "My father left before I was born, and my mother wasn't exactly a great parent. She died when I was two," she replied softly. Zoro's hand missed the plate that Sanji had just handed him and it crashed to the floor, breaking into a hundred pieces. "Shitty marimo, pay attention to what you're doing, damn it!" Sanji spat, "how old are you now?" he asked, turning his attention back to Emerald. Zoro remained silent as he bent down to clean up the mess. Sanji was a little taken aback by the swordsman's lack of a response. "I'm three," she said, holding up three fingers to show him, drawing his attention back to herself.

"What happened to your parents?" Emerald suddenly asked. "They died when I was young. Zeff was the closest thing to a father I had," Sanji said softly. Emerald looked up to Sanji expecting him to continue. "What?" Sanji asked after a moment. "I was waiting for you to tell me who Zeff is," Emerald replied bluntly. Sanji chuckled, "he was the owner of the restaurant I used to work at". Emerald studied Sanji for a moment.

"Sanji, do you have a girlfriend," she blurted out. Sanji was a little surprised by the question, but answered her anyway. "No, I don't. Why do you ask?" "I was just wondering," she said honestly. "You sure are talkative now," Sanji pointed out. Emerald put on a big smile, "it's 'cuz I like talking to you," she replied sweetly. Sanji dried his hands as Zoro left the galley, still remaining silent. "Okay, it's time for you to go to bed," Sanji told her. Emerald smiled and nodded, racing out the door.

Sanji sighed and lit up a cigarette. He hadn't wanted to smoke with the girl around since she was so young. She seemed to take a liking to him for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that they both lost their parents when they were young. _That can't be it, she didn't know that until I told her just now_ Sanji thought, _and what the hell was up with the shitty swordsman? He didn't say a single thing the whole time. _Sanji decided to ponder over things tomorrow as he snuffed out his cigarette. It was getting late and he was tired.

Robin stood right outside the galley door hidden by the shadows. She had listened to everything, surprised that the little girl had answered any question the cook asked. She watched as Zoro wandered onto the deck and stared quietly at the stars.  
Emerald ran by a moment later, heading towards the library instead of the girl's quarters. She remained still until Sanji left for bed and Zoro meandered into the library. She silently moved to the closed door of the library and pressed her ear to the door to listen to the conversation.

Zoro had followed Emerald a few minutes after she left the galley. He found her curled up in a chair in the library, reading one of Robin's books, or appeared to be reading it. He wasn't sure if the three-year-old could read or not. She looked up from the book straight into his eyes. "Can I help you," she asked seriously. Zoro stood rooted to the spot for a few moments. Something about those dark green eyes made him feel as if he were being analyzed. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he replied, "apparently it wasn't that long ago when your mom died". Emerald studied his facial expression for a moment. "Like I said before, my mother wasn't exactly a competent parent. She wasn't there most of the time anyway," she added.

"Well, do you have any other family? Do you have any siblings?" he asked, never taking his gaze off her eyes. "No," she replied rather quickly. Robin listened carefully to every part of the conversation. _She is definitely hiding something_ she concluded. She slipped away quietly. She felt she had enough information for now. Zoro could see Emerald was hiding something. "What's your full name?" he asked slowly. Emerald kept her eyes fixed on Zoro's, not daring to look away. "I don't know. I never even knew my mother's name. Like I said before, she wasn't around a lot. Now if you don't mind, I would like to get some sleep," she said, abruptly ending the conversation. "You're sleeping in the library?" Zoro asked, attempting to keep it going. "Yes, I like it here. Goodnight," she refused to let the conversation continue.

Zoro turned and left. _It's just in my head,_ he tried convincing himself, _she's only a three-year-old. I should just try to sleep and forget about it. _As he headed up to his room, he couldn't help but feel that those eyes looked so familiar...

_Hey, sorry to cut it off here! It would have been longer but it's past 3 in the morning and I'm surprised I even got this far. ZzZz..._


	7. Avoidance

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

The next morning, Emerald remained quiet throughout breakfast. Afterward, she found a place to sit on the grass, trying her best to avoid everyone. Unfortunately, as soon as Robin was finished, she immediately walked in Emerald's direction. _Damn it, why does she keep insisting on talking to me,_ she thought as the raven haired archeologist moved closer. "You seem awfully quiet this morning, Emerald-san," Robin said, finding a seat next to Emerald. "I'm just as quiet as I was last night," she shot back. "You were quite vocal speaking with Sanji-san last night after dinner," Robin replied slyly.

Emerald looked up at her with surprise clearly written in her eyes. Robin let out a soft chuckle. Emerald's face suddenly turned very serious, "your laugh scares me even more than your smile," she admitted. "Why is that?" Robin questioned. Emerald looked down at her feet quietly. "Because you're always so calm and quiet. I don't know what you're thinking or you're capable of," she answered after a moment. Robin gave her a soft smile. _So that's why she's trying to avoid me. She can't analyze me as easily as she can the rest of the crew, _Robin realized. Emerald looked up at Robin with a mysterious glint in her eyes. Robin had to admit she had just as hard of a time trying to figure out what was going on behind those eyes.

"So you speak Spanish?" Robin asked softly. Emerald looked up and nodded slowly, "you listened to our conversation last night". It wasn't a question, but more of an accusation. "I had been sitting outside and heard the conversation, yes," she replied calmly, "I also recall that your father left before you were born and your mother was not around often. Is that correct?" Emerald merely glared at her, she could see where the conversation was heading. "I'm curious to how you know as much as you do, let alone a second language, when there was no one around to teach you," Robin explained. Emerald went back to watching her feet quietly. Robin could see the obvious look of painful memories written in the girl's face. Deciding she could ask questions later, Robin stood and made her way to the other side of the deck.

She didn't notice the triumphant smile on Emerald's lips when she had left. Emerald quickly wiped the smile off her face when Zoro took Robin's place next to her. _What is this, an interrogation?_ She thought to herself bitterly. "Hey," he said simply. Emerald watched him, waiting for him to start with his questioning. She was surprised when he didn't question, but instead started apologizing. "Sorry about last night. I didn't mean to upset you, it's just that you remind me so much of someone I knew," he confessed. Emerald's eyes widened. She hadn't expected him to be so open with her. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I thought you were just mad at me," Emerald replied with tears coming to her eyes. _Shit, now she's gonna cry. I just made her even more upset _Zoro thought, _I don't know how to handle this shit._ "No, I'm not mad at you," he said, hoping that would be enough to cheer up the young girl. When it appeared to work, Zoro left and decided it best to keep away from her.

Emerald sighed with relief. She knew tearing up would work with the swordsman. It was going to be hard avoiding those two. About time she was left alone. "Hey Emerald," Luffy yelled, bounding towards her. _I spoke too soon_, she thought. She looked up expectantly at the captain. "I'm bored, you wanna play a game?" he asked with a huge grin. Emerald looked up, studying his features. _He's really cute,_ said a voice in the back of her head. _Shut up, he isn't that cute! Besides, I'm only three, _she argued. _If you didn't think he was cute, why are you having trouble talking to him? _the voice asked. Luffy's grin had been replaced by a slight frown and confused expression. _Why does he looked confused?_ she asked herself. _Because he asked you a question and you still haven't answered! You're staring!_ The voice answered.

Emerald looked down as a slight blush crossed her cheeks and shook her head quickly. "Okay then," he replied, seeming a little disappointed. "Hey Usopp!" he yelled as he walked away. _Great, I just sat there and argued with myself! I probably looked like some stupid little girl_ she scolded herself. _What does it matter? _The voice asked, _you're only three anyway_. Emerald frowned and wandered off. She needed to find something to take her mind off this whole situation. She decided to watch Franky while he was working until Sanji brought out snacks. While everyone else was busy snacking, she decided to take the chance to disappear below deck.

Emerald found her way to the storage room, making sure Robin hadn't followed her. She pulled out the small pack she had hidden behind one of the crates when she had first come on board. She quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She pulled out a silver locket and glanced at the pictures inside before stuffing it back into the pack. She placed the pack back behind the crates. Hopefully no one would find it, otherwise they might think that she had planned on staying on the ship the whole time. _And by they, you mean Robin, right?_ the voice asked. _She's the one I have to watch out for. If I'm not careful, she's going to figure something out_, Emerald thought. _I think she already has_, the voice pointed out. _ Shut up. You just make me think I'm going crazy_, Emerald snapped. _You keep arguing with yourself, you've already gone crazy,_ the voice retorted.

Emerald slipped back up on the deck, ignoring the comment the voice in her head had just made. She was relieved to see Zoro was busy training and Robin was drawn into a book. She let out a sigh of relief. She didn't see that Sanji had noticed her come out of the storage room. _What is she hiding down there_ he thought. He decided to check out the storage room later, when Emerald was distracted; he didn't want her to think he was being suspicious.

Emerald's ears perked up as she heard the sweet sound of a violin. She skimmed the deck, her eyes falling on Brooke. She had been scared of him the day before, but now she crept up behind him as he played. She found a comfortable place to sit as she listened to the mesmerizing sound of the violin. The sound of music calmed her and she closed her eyes, relaxing for the first time in a long while. The end of the song came and Emerald opened her eyes to see the musician looking straight at her, or what she thought was straight at her, as he didn't really have eyes. She was caught by surprise and slowly started to crawl backwards.

Brooke saw that the child was still scared of him, so he began playing the violin again. She seemed to calm again as the music started back up. He watched her as he played. Emerald was apprehensive at first, but slowly her fear of the skeleton ebbed away. She wasn't sure why she was afraid of him, he obviously wasn't going to hurt her or he would have done so by now. She gave him a small smile to let him know she wasn't scared of him anymore. She sat for another minute, just listening to Brooke play. She got up and wandered over to the rail, looking out over the ocean.

Her eyes grew larger as she watched a figure in the distance. It looked like a person standing on a small boat. She watched, entranced, as the figure slowly got closer and closer to the ship. Her eyes grew larger as she could make out more detail of the figure. _No, there's no way it can be..._ her train of thought derailed as she could clearly make out the figure closing in on the ship at a greater speed.

_Leaving it there for now! Not really a whole lot of talking in this chapter..._


	8. Return

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

_Author's note: sorry for the late update, next update probably won't be for a while. Hope you guys like this one, things get interesting!_

Emerald stumbled backwards as the figure came closer. She turned and ran below deck. _There's no way it can be! That's impossible _she thought frantically. She quickly looked for a place to hide. The library popped into her head. _No, they'll expect me to hide there_ she reasoned. She tried to think of another place where she could hide. She remembered a large cabinet in the galley that she could fit into. She calmly walked to the galley, not wanting to draw any attention to herself. Thankfully, the galley was empty, allowing her to slip into her hiding spot.

Back on the deck, Sanji had been serving the ladies. The figure Emerald saw had reached the ship. Zoro froze in his training. Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp stopped dead in their tracks during their game of tag. Everyone just stood in shock and stared. The figure was crouched on the railing of the ship, a familiar hat hiding his face. Nobody could believe what they were seeing. It was as if they were looking at a ghost. Luffy took a slow step towards the figure.

"ACE," Luffy shouted before running and clutching on to his brother. Luffy's shout seemed to pull everybody out of their shock as they ran to greet the captain's brother, who they all thought to be dead. "We thought you were dead," Nami exclaimed, "how are you even here?" Ace looked up and smiled at them. "I thought I was dead too. All I remember is waking up on a small island," Ace explained, "I guess someone was looking out for me". Ace started telling about what had happened as the excited crew listened on.

Sanji stood at the back of the group. As much as he wanted to hear the story as well, he decided to use this opportunity to look for whatever Emerald was hiding in the storage room. He quietly slipped away, unaware that Robin noticed his subtle departure. _What's he up to?_ she thought to herself. She decided to keep an eye on him without leaving the group, making sure Sanji wouldn't notice eyes on the wall on his way to the room. Two crew members leaving during Ace's story would seem rather suspicious.

Sanji skimmed the dark storage room for anything unusual. He spotted something behind some of the crates. Bending over, he pulled out a small pack. _What is she hiding in this thing?_ Sanji wondered. He remembered how Emerald had changed clothes even though she didn't seem to have anything with her. _I guess she brought her clothes in this. It's really nothing important _Sanji decided _I'll let her think it's still hidden._ He gently placed it back behind the crates where he had found it. He headed back to the deck, not noticing an arm come out of the wall next to the pack.

A small smile appeared on Robin's lips. _I'll check the pack when everybody goes to sleep_ she planned. She was subconsciously hoping that Emerald wasn't hiding anything. She quite liked the young girl and would rather believe her to be honest with the crew. She was torn from her thoughts when she heard Luffy bring up Emerald. "She's a little orphan that snuck on our ship," he explained to his brother. T was then that everyone realized Emerald wasn't on the deck anywhere. "That's funny, she was here a minute ago," Usopp said.

As everybody searched for the little girl, Robin decided to head to the storage room to check out the pack. She retrieved the pack from the arm holding it up for her. She hesitated for a moment. _Sanji didn't go through it when he found it. Maybe I should respect her privacy and trust her_ she thought, feeling a twinge of guilt. _But why would she hide it if she has nothing to hide_ she reasoned. Upon first opening the pack, she only noticed clothes. Then a picture frame caught her eye. She pulled it out, seeing a young couple. Robin assumed it to be Emerald's mother and father. When she placed the picture back into the pack, she could feel something cold on the back of her hand. She pulled out a silver locket with _Forest_ inscribed on it.

Robin hears everybody returning to the deck. She quickly stuffed everything back into the small pack and placed it behind the crates. She returned to the deck to see Sanji carrying Emerald from the galley. "She was hiding in one of the cabinets," Sanji explained. Emerald put on a big smile. "I wanted to play hide-and-seek," she said innocently. Luffy rushed to the girl, a huge grin on his face. "Hey Emerald, I want you to meet my brother!" he exclaimed. The little girl just turned away shyly and nodded her head. Luffy frowned slightly. She was always fine with everyone else, but acted shy around him for some reason.

"Wow, you have beautiful eyes," Ace complimented, smiling. Emerald merely narrowed her eyes. "Kissing ass isn't gonna get you anywhere with me," she spat. Ace's smile disappeared, only to reappear a moment later. "You have quite a mouth. Where did you learn to talk like that?" he questioned. "On the streets, where I grew up, asshole," she replied, glaring at him. Everyone was shocked at her attitude. She wasn't even this rude to Nami and Robin when they found her on the ship. Ace cocked his head to the side. "You don't like me very much, do you?" he asked. "You're a quick one," she retorted. She looked up at Sanji. "I met him, can I go play now," she asked sweetly.

"How about you go sit in the library and think about your attitude?" Sanji said sternly. Emerald put her head down and nodded. She wasn't ashamed, but Sanji had never scolded her before. He set her down and she ran off to the library. Everyone looked at Sanji surprised. "You're turning out to be quite a guardian to her," Robin commented. "I just sent her to the library. She was being rather rude, even for her," Sanji replied, lighting a cigarette. He just hoped she wasn't crying in the library.

Emerald looked for a book to read while she was in her "timeout". _Like hell I'm going to think about my attitude. I'm just lucky Robin has so many interesting books _she thought. She found a book to read and sat down on the chair. She wasn't hurt that Sanji had actually put her in timeout, but a little surprised. _I had him pinned as an easy way to stay out of trouble. Guess I was wrong_ she smiled, _but I have to admit, he'll be a good father someday_.

Robin, Nami, and Sanji had apologized for Emerald's behavior. After she had gotten used to the crew, she had been more polite to everyone. "She'll probably be nicer once she gets used to you," Sanji said, "she was the same way with us when we first caught her on the ship." Ace just smiled, "It's okay. If she doesn't like me, I can't make her like me". Ace didn't seem to mind the little girl's attitude towards him. Sanji left to start on dinner. Usopp began telling one of his stories and Luffy and Chopper sat down to listen. Zoro resumed his training while Ace and Franky struck up a conversation. Nami went to her room to make a map of the island they found Emerald at.

Emerald quickly got bored of the book and decided to chance sneaking out of the library. She cracked the door open to see everyone was occupied. She crept out and quickly headed towards Nami's room. She found Nami working on a map. _Hopefully she won't send me back to timeout_ she thought. "Hey Nami, what are you doing?" she asked hesitantly. Nami turned around and smiled at her. "I'm making a map of the last island we were at," she explained. Emerald pulled up a seat to sit next to her. "Why did you join this crew," Emerald questioned. "Luffy helped me and he needed a navigator. Plus, I want to make a map of the world," she answered. "How did Luffy help you?" she asked.

"What is this, twenty questions?" Nami shot back. Emerald bit her lower lip and looked down, making Nami feel a little guilty. "A pirate named Arlong had taken over my home town. He was a merman and really strong. I had made a deal with him to buy back the town, but he never intended to give it to me. Luffy beat him and freed the town, so I agreed to come with him," Nami explained. Emerald got quiet suddenly and turned her attention to the floor. "Oh, I see," she said softly. Nami looked puzzled. "Are you okay?" she asked. Emerald just nodded and left the room. She went to go see Sanji, hoping he would make her feel better.

Sanji was just walking out of the galley when Emerald ran into him. "I'll be right back Emerald, I need to get some rosemary," he said. "I'll get it for you cook-san," Robin offered. "Ah, thank you Robin-chwan, you're so thoughtful," Sanji exclaimed with heart eyes. He headed back into the galley with Emerald at his heels. "Is something wrong," Sanji asked, concerned because of the look on her face. "No, I'm okay," she said flatly. "Good. You really should apologize to Ace," he stated. She just looked away and remained quiet. Sanji let out a sigh, "I don't see why you don't like him. He wasn't mean to you". Emerald turned back to him, "I just don't. Are you going to tell me I have to be nice to him now?" she shot.

Sanji was surprised with her taking that tone with him. She occasionally did with the others, but never talked to him that way. "No, but I would like you to be more polite, even if you don't like him," he replied slowly. "Fine, I'll be more polite and stop using bad language, but that doesn't mean I'll be nice," she said, letting out a sigh. Sanji smiled and nodded, he knew it was the most he would get out of her. "Alright, go play while I finish dinner," he told her. She smiled and left. _At least I'm not stuck in the library now. I guess I just won't talk to Ace _she thought to herself. She went and sat to listen to Usopp's stories with Luffy and Chopper.

Robin had went down to the storage room to get the spice and decided to have another look at the locket. She pulled it out of the pack and examined the inscription. _Why does it say 'Forest' and not 'Emerald'?_ She asked herself. She opened the locket and her eyes widened at the pictures inside. On one side was a picture of a little boy holding a baby. The boy couldn't be any older than three. The other side had a picture of the same boy, except much older, about twenty years old. _It can't be..._ her mind was reeling. She hadn't expected to see that picture in the locket. She knew that face, quite well in fact...

_Cutting it off here! Thought I'd leave it somewhere that would keep it interesting... _


	9. Honesty

**Hey everybody, sorry for taking so long on the update ^ ^; hope you guys like it**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own ideas**

Robin stashed the locket in her pocket, grabbed the spice, and headed back to the galley. She would have to confront Emerald after dinner. _Where did she get those pictures_ she wondered as she entered the galley. "Is this the right one cook-san?" she asked, handing the spice over to Sanji. "Perfect. Thank you Robin-chwan, you are so helpful," Sanji swooned, adding the spice.

Emerald had seen Robin come out of the storage room. _She was in there an awful long time_ she thought to herself. She decided to take a look and make sure her things were still safe. She began to creep away from the group when Luffy turned around. "Eh, where are you going Emerald?" he asked, "The story isn't finished yet". Emerald looked back at Luffy with big green eyes, "It's getting scary, I don't want to hear anymore," she replied shyly. _I'm only three, so they'll believe it, right?_ she reasoned. She held her breath until Luffy shrugged with a slight frown and went back to listening to the story.

Emerald tiptoed down the stairs to the storage room and found her pack, exactly where she left it. She let out a sigh of relief and opened the pack. Everything seemed to still be accounted for, but all her clothes were no longer folded. A confused look crossed her face as she started looking through the bag. Her confusion turned to terror when she noticed her most prized possession was missing. She dumped everything out, panicking at the lack of silver jewelry. _No, no, no, no, no! That bitch, she went through my bag! And took the only thing I didn't want anyone to find_ her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Sanji calling for everybody for dinner. She would have to come back later to move her things to a safer location. The locket meant more to her than anything, but she didn't want the picture to go missing as well.

Everybody, even Luffy, noticed the tension at dinner. Emerald kept her head down and refused to talk to anyone and Robin kept a close eye on her. Ace would chance a glimpse at the girl every once in a while, assuming it was his presence that kept her quiet. Everyone kept their gaze on the girl as they ate, only looking away when they needed to guard their food from the captain. They kept their conversations going without looking at each other, although no one seemed to be in the mood for conversation. _It seems too quiet fo__r dinner_ Emerald thought and finally looked up to notice everyone watching her. Her eyes got wide, wondering if they had figured something out. "Did I do something wrong," she asked suddenly. Sanji started laughing at the expression on her face. Everyone joined in a moment later, glad that the tension was gone. Ace was glad it didn't have anything to do with him. He wouldn't admit it, but it really bothered him that Emerald seemed to despise him.

After dinner, Luffy decided a party was needed before his brother left. Sanji walked over to Emerald who was sitting quietly in the galley while everyone was outside. "Is everything okay Emerald?" he asked. Emerald looked up at him surprised, she hadn't even heard him come in. "Yeah, Usopp's story earlier just scared me," she replied innocently. "Alright, as long as you're okay. Why don't you come out and join everyone," he suggested. "I'm not really in the mood for a party," she replied. "Could you at least come out so everybody doesn't get worried," Sanji requested, "you don't have to talk to anyone, just so we know where you are". Emerald smiled and nodded, following him out on the deck. She took a quick glance around to see if Robin was missing. She couldn't spot the raven-haired woman anywhere._ She's probably in the library reading, although I don't see how she could with all this noise_ she thought. She headed over to the library to investigate.

Upon entering the room, she realized she was half right. Robin was in there, but she wasn't reading. Instead, it looked as though she had been waiting for her. "Hello, Emerald," she greeted, although it wasn't as warm a welcome as Emerald had expected. "Hello Robin. Why aren't you outside with the others?" she questioned hesitantly. Robin smiled at the young girl, causing chills to run down her spine._ Again with that smile_ she thought bitterly. It seemed different this time. Before, Robin had smiled in greeting or amusement. This time, it seemed... suspicious. "I have a few questions for you. You see, when I was down in the storage room getting Sanji-san some spices, I noticed a small pack behind the crates. Upon opening the pack, I found what seemed to be your clothes and" she pulled out a silver locket "this lovely piece of jewelry. I assume it is yours?" Robin asked unnecessarily, already knowing the answer. Emerald gulped and merely nodded. _Might as well come clean and hopefully she won't tell anyone_ she thought. "Good, a little honesty this time. Now what I found so interesting about the locket is the pictures I saw when I opened it," she explained as she opened the locket to reveal the two pictures on either side. One was a picture of a young boy, about two or three, holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. The other was the same boy, only about twenty years old. The unusual thing about him was his green hair.

Emerald's face paled at this point. "I'm wondering how you know swordsman-san and how you came across these pictures," Robin said. Emerald looked down at her feet. She knew she could probably lie her way out of this with some story of finding the locket discarded. She looked up at Robin with tears in her eyes. "I could make up some story, or would you rather hear the truth?" she asked quietly. Robin's smiled softened at this point. _She's ready to come clean now_ she thought to herself. "The truth, if you don't mind," She replied. Emerald focused her eyes back to her feet before answering. "Zoro is my brother. The baby in the picture is me, I took it from our house before it burned down. The other picture I managed to steal from some marines that were looking for you guys," she confessed.

Robin looked slightly confused. "How is this little boy Zoro if you are only three years old?" she asked. "Oh, yeah, I probably should explain that," Emerald said, looking up at Robin, "I kinda got mixed up in some dark magic and got turned into a little girl. I'm really twenty". Robin smiled, "So Zoro was three in this picture," she stated. Emerald nodded and continued, "but my name is really Forest, like it says on the locket. I made up a fake name so that no one would figure anything out. I don't want Zoro knowing what happened". Robin nodded politely. "So that picture of the couple in your bag is your parents?" she asked. "Well, yes and no. They're Zoro's parents. We're really only half brother and sister. The woman is my mother, but she had cheated on dad, I mean Zoro's dad, and had gotten pregnant with me. I never really knew my biological father," she finished. "So who was it that taught you Spanish?" Robin asked. As far as she knew, the swordsman didn't know any Spanish. "Zoro did. He doesn't use it unless he needs to, but he's fluent in Spanish. Dad, I mean Zoro's dad, spoke Spanish. Our mother wasn't around often, so we didn't really learn anything from her," she explained.

Robin noticed the pained look in her eyes at the last statement. "You keep correcting yourself when you call him your dad," Robin observed. Forest looked back down at her feet. "I know, I used to call him that. He was the only real parent I knew. He had come in the house after me when the fire started. I had run back in to get the pictures, and he got me out the window, but he couldn't get out," she said, tears welling up in her eyes, "It's my fault he's dead". Robin reached out to her, but Forest pulled her arm away. "I'll be fine. I grew up on the streets, I can take care of myself. Zoro didn't know Dad had gotten me out, he thought I died that day. That's why I don't want him to know it's me," she admitted. "I understand, I'll keep your secret. So is your full name...," Robin began. "Roronoa Forest. Yes. Even if he wasn't my biological father, he raised me and gave me his family name," Forest interrupted, her head snapping back up.

Robin smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, why wasn't your mother around often?" she asked. She wasn't sure if this was going too far, since it seemed like such a sensitive subject to the young girl. Forest opened her mouth to snap at Robin. She didn't like thinking about her mother, let alone talking about her. The memories were painful and it wasn't a subject she wanted to get into, but she was cut off by a deep voice coming from behind Robin. "Because she was a drug addict. She never wanted kids and didn't have time for us," came the reply. Zoro stood and stepped out of the shadows. His focus was on Forest. The look on his face was one that Robin couldn't make out. She had never seen him wear an expression like that. Forest's eyes had gone wider than ever and the color drained completely from her face. Tears welled up again as she saw his face. That look she had known as a child and had never wanted to see it on his face again...

_Wow, who saw that coming? Please R&R!_


	10. The Old Lullaby

**Been a while since the last update, but I hope you guys like it!**

**Warning: contains foul language & abuse**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

Forest fought back tears as she looked into her brother's eyes. The memories that haunted her in her dreams came flooding back. Her dreams were always about her brother, with that look filling his eyes. She swallowed hard before attempting to speak. "I'm sorry Zoro, I never meant to hurt you. I didn't want you to be stuck in one place because of me, so I never wanted you to find out that I had survived," Forest explained quickly before the sobs broke through and shook her body. She tore her eyes off Zoro's and put her head down.

Zoro sighed and closed his eyes. He put his hand to his forehead as his mind started pounding. He knew the girl had looked like his sister, but he never would have guessed it actually _was_ his sister he thought he had lost 18 years ago. "Robin, would you mind leaving so I can have a word with my sister?" he asked quietly, the word feeling strange on his lips. Robin smiled and gave a slight nod before leaving the two alone. Forest backed away slowly, not wanting to be too close for fear of his temper. Zoro scooped up the girl and sat in a chair, placing the small, trembling figure on his lap facing him. The tears she had been holding back while Robin had been in the room now fell freely.

"Forest, you know I always hated it when you cried," he said sternly, but pulled her into an embrace. The show of affection, however, only caused her to cry harder. Zoro frowned slightly as he started to rub her back to calm her down. He didn't quite understand why she was crying. He knew she had been through worse when they were younger and she had never shed a tear.

~~~Flashback~~~

_Zoro walked in the house after school. 'Man, why did dad insist that I go to school? It's so boring and I'm not gonna learn anything from that idiot teacher' he thought to himself as he set his bag down by the door. He walked into the living room and saw a couple needles and empty liqueur bottles on the coffee table. He sighed as he got the small trash can next to the couch and started cleaning up after his mother. He put the trash can back and started to look for a snack when he heard a small noise from his sister's room down the hall. Curiosity getting the best of him, he slowly walked down the hall to investigate. As he came into view of the scene, he saw Forest cowering in the corner as their mother stood over, barely able to stand at all, holding a leather belt in her right hand._

"_You shitty little brat, he's not even your dad. It wasn't serious, I was having fun. I wasn't supposed to get pregnant. You're nothing but a fucking mistake!" she yelled as she swung the belt down towards her daughter. Without thinking, Zoro ran forward screaming at his mother. He jumped between them just in time to take the hit across his back. He winced in pain as he looked down at his sister's bloody nose and lip. Her eyes were wide and she had a dark bruise on her cheek. Zoro was surprised to see there weren't any tears in her eyes._

"_What the hell do you think you're doing you little bastard? Get out of the way!" the mother yelled as she raised the belt for another strike. "What are YOU doing? She's your daughter!" Zoro yelled back, turning to face the woman while keeping Forest shielded. A sick, twisted smile formed on her lips. At one time years before, her face had been beautiful with shining dark eyes. Now she was less than a shadow of her former self. "I'm doing something I should have done a long time ago. Fixing a mistake that I never should have made," she answered darkly._

~~~End Flashback~~~

Forest's sobs subsided and her breathing slowed. Zoro kept rubbing her back absentmindedly. She had only been two then and hadn't shed a tear when she was beaten. Now she was 20, well in the body of a 3 year old, but still 20, and crying her eyes out because she thought that she had hurt him and made him angry. Zoro looked down and sighed when he noticed she had fallen asleep. _I guess I won't be talking to her about it tonight_ he thought. He leaned the chair as far back as he could and got as comfortable as he could without waking Forest. He stared at the ceiling thinking about how much time he missed and how much Forest had changed since he had last seen her. They had been so close when they were young and never had secrets from the other. _But that was a lifetime ago_ Zoro thought as he started drifting off.

"Hey Zoro," Forest whispered softly, waking him from his almost-sleep. "Hm?," he replied, looking down into her big, green eyes. He could tell she wanted to ask him something, but she was hesitating. "Um, I have a really hard time falling asleep. I don't know if you remember when we were kids, but I was wondering..." she trailed off. She was a little afraid of asking him for anything because she wasn't sure if he was mad at her or not. Zoro sighed as he closed his eyes and put his head back down. Forest's face fell and she put her head back down on his chest. _I knew I shouldn't have asked. Even if he remembered, I doubt he would right now_ she thought to herself. Her face lit up and softened when she heard him start singing in a deep voice.

"Hush my love now don't you cry

Everything will be all right  
Close your eyes and drift in dream  
Rest in peaceful sleep

If there's one thing I hope I showed you

If there's one thing I hope I showed you  
Hope I showed you

Just give love to all

Just give love to all

Just give love to all

Oh my love in my arms tight  
Every day you give me life  
As I drift off to your world  
Rest in peaceful sleep

I know there's one thing that you showed me

I know there's one thing that you showed me  
That you showed me

Just give love to all

Just give love to all

Just give love to all  
Let's give love to all

Let's give love to all  
Just give love to all  
Let's give love to all  
Just give love to all  
Let's give love to all"

Forest had already fallen asleep ¾ through the song. Zoro drifted off as he finished the song. Forest smiled in her sleep as he finished. She had always had trouble falling asleep when she was little and Zoro would sing her the same lullaby every night. She felt a sense of security she hadn't felt in a long time. For a moment, she felt as if they had that closeness that they had before their parents died.

The party had ended a while ago and everyone had already gone to bed. Robin had asked Sanji to remind Zoro that he had watch. After checking the swordsman's usually napping spots, Sanji had been heading back to the galley when he had heard a deep voice coming from the library. He put his ear to the door and his visible eye widened when he realized that Zoro was singing. He had stood right outside the door smoking a cigarette until Zoro had finished singing. Sanji finished his cigarette and decided he needed to blow off some steam. Making fun of the marimo would be a good way of starting a fight.

Upon entering the library, Sanji instantly stopped in his tracks as he realized why Zoro had been singing. The little girl was fast asleep on Zoro's stomach, one of the swordsman's hands holding her close. A smile came to Sanji's lips as he headed for the boys' room. He returned shortly carrying Zoro's blanket. He covered the two and headed for the crow's nest to take the night watch. _I can always wait until tomorrow. Besides, now he owes me for taking night watch for him_ Sanji thought to himself as he got comfortable.

**Awe, so cute! The song is Lullaby by Creed. I love the song and thought it would fit into the story. Let me know if there's anything you guys would like to see in the story. R&R please!**


	11. The Nightmare

**Hey guys, I know it's been a while since my last update, sorry 'bout that ^ ^; I've got a poll up on my profile if you'd like to vote for what will be in the next chapter. If you don't like any of those ideas, PM me and let me know what you would like to see. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece**

_ Forest was breathing hard as she ran through the woods. 'Daddy couldn't get out, he's gonna get hurt!' She thought frantically. She would have stayed with him, but he told her to run. He said her mother would be home shortly, and she would take care of her. 'Why does she need to take care of me? Daddy's home, he'll take care of everything' she pondered, stopping in a clearing to catch her breath. She paused, looking around her. They lived far out of town in the woods. She and Zoro may not have the best sense of direction, but she knew these woods like the back of her hand._

_ She started heading towards town when voices burst out in her head. "He's not even your real father!", "She died of a heroine overdose while he tried saving their kids", "They're both missing, I don't think they made it", "She was always a weird one", "Only the father's remains, the kids weren't there. I hope they're okay, any where is better than with that slut", "It was probably Forest that started the fire, she always did things like that". Forest covered her ears, but nothing seemed to drown out the noise._

_ She shut her eyes tight, hoping that when she opened them, she would be back at the house with Zoro making her a snack. Their dad would be coming in any second. "You're the best big brother in the world, isn't he Forest?" he would say every time. The other voices drowned out her dad's. She opened her eyes, and her mother stood in front of her, the leather belt in her hand poised to strike. That same sick, twisted grin on her face. "Big brother isn't here to save you this time. It's time I got rid of the worthless mistake I made!" she yelled as she swung down._

_ Forest turned and ran into the woods. She ran faster, but everything was unfamiliar now. She had never been down this way. 'Wait, I've been in every part of these woods. This isn't the same' she thought desperately. She skidded to a halt, nearly falling off the cliff that seemed to appear out of nowhere. She looked down in the deep waters. 'No problem, I've always been a great swimmer,' she told herself as she got ready to jump. That's when she saw them. At the bottom of the cliff were four sharks, swimming around in a circle._

_ 'Shit,' she turned around to run, only to find herself face to face with her mother. She frantically looked around for Zoro. "He's not coming Forest. He left you a long time ago. He never wanted to take care of a mistake like you. The only one who wanted you was that idiot father of yours, even after he found out you weren't his," she spat, her words dripping with venom. "That's not true!" Forest yelled, "Zoro loves me. He's the best big brother in the whole world, he wouldn't leave me!" Her mother let out a laugh that chilled the girl throughout her body. "He already has, you filthy little bitch, and now you belong to no one!" _

Forest woke with a start. She looked around the room, realizing she was in the library. She could feel the light throb of a headache coming on as she tried recalling the events from the night before. The memories from the night before and the nightmare she just had came flooding back. She lie back down on Zoro's chest as her headache worsened. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of her brother's heart beating. She opened her eyes again as she recalled the closeness they had last night, as if they had never been separated.

Zoro began to stir, holding close to Forest as he began coming out of sleep. He was afraid that it had all been a dream, that he would wake and realize his sister was dead after all. He looked down at the small figure laying on him. Her big green eyes looked distant and she had dark circles under them. Zoro sighed as he closed his eyes again. "Didn't sleep well" he said. It wasn't really a question, but more of a statement. It seemed to him that even though he didn't really know his sister all that well anymore, some things would never change. He could always tell when she was restless or had nightmares, and last night had been a nightmare.

She looked up at him, her green eyes showing their surprise at his knowing tone. Forest had thought Zoro had forgotten her long ago, but he could still pick up on the little hints. "Did you want to talk about it?" he asked when she remained silent. She put her head back down, not wanting to answer. She didn't want to talk about it, but telling him she didn't would be a blow. They never had kept anything from one another when they were young. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn't as comfortable with him as she had been back then, but she would do anything to get that closeness back.

"It was about the fire and mother. Nothing too bad really," she said, avoiding the real issue within the dream. Zoro suddenly picked up the small girl as he sat up. He placed her in his lap facing him and looked her straight in the eyes. "If it wasn't that bad, you would have slept fine. What was it that bothered you then?" he demanded. Even if she was grown, she still couldn't keep anything from him. She looked him in the eyes, unable to turn away for some unknown reason. Her eyes started to fill up with tears again as she opened her mouth to speak.

"I was in the woods after the fire and I could hear all these voices talking about our family. The things the neighborhood kids used to say, that mother used to say to me, those kind of things. Then mother was there and she tried killing me, and I almost jumped off a cliff, but there were sharks at the bottom. Then she started telling me that I didn't belong to anyone and that you never wanted to take care of me. She said dad was the only one that wanted me even though he knew I wasn't his," Forest had broken down and started sobbing again.

Zoro frowned as he pulled her close to him. She had never cried like this when she was younger, and he now had a good idea why she was breaking down. She had never liked being alone when she was little. She would come to meet him at school if no one was home, just so she could walk with him. Zoro wasn't thinking as he started rubbing her back and humming to her.

Forest took deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. As soon as she had started telling him about her nightmare, the words just spilled out of her mouth in a rant. She had always known her dad loved her, but after the fire Zoro had left. She had been so young, she didn't understand fully what was going on. She was afraid that Zoro had left, not without her, but because of her. She had never stopped to think of everything he did just for her. The older kids in the neighborhood had always made fun of her, and Zoro had always defended her, so he didn't have many friends.

"Hey Zoro?" Forest whispered, breaking the silence between them. Zoro grunted in response. "Why did mother always hit you? You weren't the one she hated," she asked hesitantly. Zoro pulled back to look his sister in the eye. "I wasn't about to let her hurt you again. You're my sister, what kind of brother would I be if I didn't protect you?" he stated bluntly. Forest dried her eyes before continuing. "But we were just kids. I could take a hit, I just hated seeing you being hurt because of me," she said, putting her head down. "It wasn't your fault, don't ever start thinking that. It was that woman's fault, she couldn't deal with any sort of responsibility. And what do you mean 'were kids'? As far as I can see, you still are one," Zoro retorted with a smirk.

What he didn't expect was his sister's reaction. He knew she had always been rather small for her age when she was young, but she was still rather short, even before she had been transformed into her childhood state. Forest kicked hard off Zoro's stomach, causing the chair to fall over, sending Zoro flying backwards. Forest easily flipped backwards and landed lightly on her feet.

"That's not funny Zoro! I hate being like this," Forest shouted indignantly. Zoro couldn't help but laugh at her 'scold' from his position on the floor. "You know, you never looked threatening back then. Not much has changed," he said, getting up off the floor. He couldn't help but smile when she stomped over in a huff, and picked up the chair she had knocked over. Sanji opened the door as Forest climbed back into the chair. "What is going on in here?" he asked, glaring at the swordsman. "Nothing," Forest answered for him, "Is breakfast ready?"

"Yes, my little princess, breakfast is ready," he called sweetly before turning to Zoro, "And try not to knock over anymore furniture, singing marimo." Sanji quickly left to check on his lovely ladies with a satisfied grin on his face. Forest held back her laugh as Zoro's face turned several shades of red before he exploded. "YOU SHITTY COOK, GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" Zoro yelled, darting out the door after Sanji. Forest couldn't help but laugh as Zoro raced out of the room. "I guess his temper didn't change much," she stated before following the path of destruction towards the galley, hoping the food wouldn't become a casualty of the war that just broke out.

_Eh, could've been longer, but I simply don't have the energy right now. Please R&R, let me know how I'm doing!_


	12. Playing Games

AUTHOR NOTE. PLEASE READ

_Well, it seems to me that this story is not all that popular. I didn't know if I should bother continuing this story or just give up on it. I decided that I would try one more chapter and see how it goes from there. So enjoy the chapter and hopefully I'll get some insight as to how well it is liked! _^.^

_Also, Kirpuu's review brought to my attention that the story was turning out to be kinda depressing, so I decided to lighten things up a bit. Enjoy!_

Breakfast had gone rather normal despite the battle that started just before. Well, as normal as any meal can be for the crew. Zoro had already wandered off to find a place for his mid-morning nap. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper had started a game of hide and seek on the deck. Nami and Robin were enjoying the sunny weather and the sweet music Brooke was playing while Franky made repairs to the damages Zoro and Sanji had caused before breakfast. Forest looked around and noticed one person unaccounted for. _Probably in the kitchen_ Forest thought to herself as she headed there. Sure enough Sanji was still in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast as well as making drinks for the ladies. Forest bounded over to him with a huge grin on her face. "Hey Sanji! Whatcha makin'?" she asked sweetly. Sanji turned his head to smile at the young girl. "Hi Emerald-san! I'm just making some drinks for Nami-swan and Robin-chwan. Would you like one too?" he replied brightly. "No thank you," she said smiling, "Can I help though?" Sanji laughed as he handed her the drinks. "Sure, can you take these to the lovely ladies? I still have a lot of cleaning up to do in here. I really appreciate you helping out," he smiled. Forest beamed as she carefully walked out with the drinks.

She made her way across the deck avoiding Luffy and the others (mostly Luffy) so she didn't spill. She smiled as she approached the two ladies. "Nami, Robin! Sanji-san made you some drinks!" Forest exclaimed holding out the drinks to show them. Robin put her book down to smile at the little girl as she handed her her drink. Forest shifted a little, still slightly uncomfortable when Robin smiled at her. Well, when she smiled at all really. "Ah, thanks Emerald-san! Are you helping out Sanji-kun?" Nami asked, accepting her drink. Forest's face lit up as she nodded excitedly. She turned and ran off to see if Sanji needed any more help.

"SSAAANNNJJJIIII! I'm hhhuunnnggrryyy~," Luffy whined from the galley doorway. Forest looked up to see Sanji's eye twitching. Sanji opened his mouth to speak when Forest whipped around to face the captain. "You just ate Luffy, you can wait until lunch!," Forest yelled. Sanji and Luffy both turned, astonished, to look at the rather demanding 3 year old. Luffy's eyes locked right onto Forest's, with a hurt look on his face. He had just been yelled at by a little girl. Forest looked down, a slight but noticeable blush crossing her cheeks. "Sanji-san is busy, so please go away now," she added, much quieter than before. The two still stared at her as her cheeks became a few shades darker. "Oi! Luffy! Are you still playing?" Usopp called from the deck. Luffy turned around, completely forgetting about being yelled at "Yosh! I'm coming!" he yelled as he darted out of the galley.

"What was that about?" Sanji asked, turning his attention back to Forest. Forest looked up at him, a faint pink tint still on her cheeks. "He already ate and you were getting annoyed," Forest replied sheepishly. Sanji smiled as he went back to the few dishes he had left. "you should go out there and play with them," Sanji stated as he started putting the dishes away. Forest shook her head vigorously "I would rather stay in here with you," she said, giving him her best puppy eyes that she could. Sanji looked down at her and laughed. "Can those eyes get any bigger?" he asked as he picked her up and set her on the counter. Forest smiled as she started swinging her legs.

"Why do you want to spend so much time with me anyway?" Sanji asked as he began sweeping. Forest cocked her head to the side and gave him a confused look. "Why shouldn't I want to spend time with you?" she asked innocently. Sanji smiled as he finished cleaning. "Because it's much more fun to play hide and seek than it is to clean," he answered bluntly. Forest looked down at her feet. _It is more fun to play_ she thought. She looked back up at Sanji and smirked. "You're right. It is more fun to play. So why don't you come and play too?" she asked. Sanji merely smiled and shook his head. "I'm not gonna play unless you do too, Sanji-san," Forest grinned. Sanji rolled his eyes, "Alright, you win. I'll play hide and seek too," he said heading out on the deck. Forest smiled triumphantly. Her smile quickly disappeared as she looked down. It wasn't that far down, but she was beginning to feel like a child again. She was afraid to jump.

"Hey, Sanji, wait! Sanji!" she yelled at the door. She scooted further on the counter, scared she would fall off. "I'm still on the counter!" she bellowed. Zoro walked in and stopped when he saw Forest on the counter. She seemed scared, but he couldn't figure out of what. "Hey, Zoro? Can you get me off the counter?" she asked shyly. "You didn't seem to need help knocking me over this morning, why do you need help off the counter?" he asked. Forest looked down at her feet. "I'm scared to jump," she whispered. Zoro rolled his eyes as he picked her up. "Forest, it's okay. It really wasn't that far," he said placing her on the ground. "Thanks Zoro. Do you wanna play hide and seek with us?" She asked, her green eyes lighting up.

Zoro's eye started twitching. "Why would I want to play hide and seek?" he asked seriously. "Please! It's funner with more people! If I get Sanji to play, will you play?" she pleaded. "What kind of argument is that? I hate that ero cook" Zoro blurted. Forest's smiled disappeared and her eyes welled up. "I like Sanji...," she replied quietly. Zoro face palmed and sighed. "Fine, if you can convince Sanji to play, I'll play," he agreed. _Sanji's always too busy being an idiot over those two girls, he'll never play_ Zoro thought to himself. "Okay, Sanji's already playing! Come on!," Forest squealed, all traces of tears already gone. She grabbed him by the hand and led him out to the deck to play.

Zoro's eyebrow started twitching. _I think I've just been had. I was tricked by a three-year-old._

He glared down at the excited young girl dragging him out of the galley. "That was a dirty trick," He said. Forest looked up at him with a pout. "You said you would play," she huffed. Zoro groaned as he looked around the deck, his eyes falling on the two girls lounging on the deck. "Fine. I'll play... if Robin plays," he said, figuring she was his best bet to get out of it. Forest merely smiled and turned towards Robin. "Hey Robin, Zoro says he'll play hide and seek if you play too. Do you wanna play?" Forest shouted across the deck.

"YAY! It's funner with more people!," Luffy yelled, throwing his arms up. Unfortunately, this gave away his hiding spot and sent Usopp chasing after him. Robin smiled and turned towards Nami. Both girls set down their books and got up. "I'm playing too Emerald!" Nami called back. Forest smiled and turned back to Zoro, whose twitch seemed to have become more violent. "Fine. One game," he gave in. Forest giggled as she ran to find a good hiding spot. Zoro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _I still can't say 'no' to her_ he thought as he followed suit and looked for somewhere to hide while Luffy started counting.

_Just a little bit of fun ^.^ Let me know if you guys want to see anymore, otherwise I'm just gonna, well, stop writing I guess..._


	13. Hide and Seek

_**Hehe sorry for taking so long with the update. ^.^; Things kinda got crazy around here, and I couldn't find the time to actually sit down and write. **_

_**Before we begin the next chapter, I'd just like to say a big thanks to everyone who reviewed! Even though the story isn't very popular, my readers are happy to see each and every update. I'll keep the story going for those who enjoy my writing, 'cuz let's face it, you are the only ones who matter. ^.^ I'd also like to add a special thanks to Kirppu, HiMokusei, and xXxDragonxPhoenixXx! You guys really motivated me to keep this going.**_

_**Also, if there is anything specific you would like to see in this story, don't hesitate to tell me about it. I have plenty of ideas for the chapters right now, but you never know when I might run into writer's block ^ ^; Anyways~, hope you guys like the story, and enjoy the chapter!**_

_**Disclaimer: I still don't own One Piece -_- but I do claim Forest as my own character**_

Forest looked around with a slightly confused look on her face. _I could have sworn this was the way to the bathroom_ she thought, looking around the girls' bedroom. Her eyes got wide as she heard footsteps coming closer. _I'll just hide in here. I really wish the rooms would stop switching places..._ she thought, crawling onto the top shelf in the closet. There was so much stuff, she easily found a hiding spot amongst the boxes, books, and papers. Even for a three year old, she was rather small. She smiled silently to herself. There was no way Luffy would be able to find her in here.

The door slowly opened to reveal Zoro. "Huh, I could've sworn this was the way to the bathroom," he said quietly, looking around. He turned around and left, leaving the door open. The next door he tried was the boys' room. "I guess this is as good as any other hiding place," he muttered.

Sanji bit his lip, fighting the urge to light up a cigarette. The smell would surely give away his position. He could feel his leg beginning to cramp up. He had perched himself in one of Nami's trees. Unfortunately to keep himself hidden, he had to put himself in an awkward, and extremely uncomfortable, position. He had done so, expecting Luffy to immediately go below deck to find everyone else. They had decided that the mast was base. _So much for my brilliant idea_ Sanji thought. Once Luffy had gone below, he had planned to jump out of the tree and go straight to base. The captain, however, seemed to think that everyone would still be on the deck. Sanji's eyebrow adorned an irritated twitch as he realized he might be up there for quite a while.

Usopp and Chopper were trying to position themselves among the tools and supplies as quietly as possible, which was proving to be quite a feat. "Usopp, are you sure Luffy won't be able to find us in here?" Chopper whispered. "Are you kidding me? Usopp-sama is like a ninja when it comes to hiding. In fact, I once..." Usopp began, but dropped silent as they heard footsteps right outside the door. They quickly got down to keep themselves out of view. The door slowly opened and they heard an irritated grunt. "Why did Franky have to make a ship with rooms that move?" Zoro asked himself as he closed the door and left to find a hiding spot.

Robin sat herself down on the chair in the library and pulled out a book. She looked up when she heard the door open. _I didn't expect Captain-san to find me so quickly_ she thought to herself. When Zoro walked in, Robin smiled. It _was_ more likely that the swordsman would stumble upon her reading on accident than for the captain to actually _find_ her. Zoro met her gaze and frowned. "This isn't exactly a great hiding spot," he pointed out. Robin merely smiled as he turned around and continued his search for a place to "hide".

Franky closed the door to the infirmary and sat on the surgical bed. _Well, Luffy probably won't think to look in here, but it seems like I'm not really hiding_ he thought to himself. He looked to the side and noticed the curtain. Figuring it was better than just sitting there, Franky went ahead and pulled the curtain shut. It wasn't much, but at least he was "hiding" now, right?

About 20 minutes later, Luffy finally decided that his crew mates weren't hiding on the deck. "I thought for sure one of them would still be here," he thought out loud as he headed below. When Sanji was certain that he was out of hearing range, he let out a sigh of relief. His relief was soon replaced by aggravation as he realized his awkward position had caused his leg to fall asleep. "Well, that's just great. Why did I agree to play this stupid game again?" he asked himself. An image of a pair of large, emerald green eyes came to his mind. He let out another sigh as he slowly lowered himself to the ground and made his way to the middle of the deck.

"Ne? I thought we weren't playing anymore," Nami said as Luffy proclaimed her 'it', "It's been 25 minutes". "But I found you, you're it," Luffy argued. Nami rolled her eyes, finding it was useless trying to argue. "Fine, let's find everyone else and play another round then," she commanded. Luffy merely smile and ran off to find the rest of the crew.

The rest were fairly easy to find. Sanji was already waiting out on the deck smoking a cigarette, Robin had been reading in the library (not really much of a hiding spot), Chopper and Usopp had both hidden in the workshop, Franky was found sitting in the infirmary (again, not much hiding going on), Brooke had locked himself in the bathroom (it was decided after that that locking doors was against the rules), and Zoro had gone to sleep in his own hammock. "Well, did you expect me to wait up the whole time? Luffy was taking forever," Zoro said defensively. "Oi. Has anyone found Emerald yet?" Sanji asked from the galley door, "I'm getting ready to make lunch and she wanted to help". Everyone looked around and realized the small child was absent.

The crew searched every part of the ship they could think of. After 15 minutes of looking, everyone started to get worried. Sanji was going to check the boys' room again when he noticed the girls' door was open. _Did anybody check in here at all?_ he thought to himself as he walked into the room. Nothing seemed to have been moved at all. He checked under the bed and in the closet. He closed the door to the closet and turned to leave when he heard a soft sigh behind him. He opened the closet again and strained his ears, hoping the sound would repeat itself. "Emerald," he called softly. He heard a slight grunt answer from the top shelf. He pulled back a few boxes to reveal a small figure curled up and, he was sure, sleeping.

He smiled as he picked up the small bundle and held her close. _Are all 3 year-old's this small? _Sanji asked himself as he headed for the deck. Forest began to stir as the sunlight hit her face. She opened her eyes sleepily and looked up into Sanji's crystal blue eye. Sanji looked down at her and smiled. She merely stared, unblinking, for a moment or two. "Why is your left eye always covered up?" she asked innocently. Sanji couldn't help but laugh. "Well, Emerald-san, that is one of the many mysteries of the grand line," he answered, smiling, "I'm getting ready to make lunch, did you still want to help me?" Forest's face lit up and all sign of sleep disappeared in an instant. "YEAH! What are we making?" Forest exclaimed as she jumped from his arms.

Sanji smiled as he watched her run straight to the galley in her excitement. _I guess this is what parenthood must be like_ he thought to himself. The thought made him frown. _She's so young and she's been through so much. _He looked up to see her yelling at him to hurry up from the doorway. _I'm sure she needs a father figure, but am I really the one to fill that? Hell, I'm not even sure I would know what to do. _Sanji was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't register the fact that Forest had said his name four times now. "SANJI!" she yelled as loud as she could. The whole crew turned to look at the two entering the galley. Forest's cheeks grew dark as Sanji finally snapped out of his trance. "Huh? What is it Emerald-san?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that everyone else was now watching them. "I've been trying to ask you what was wrong," she answered quietly, quite embarrassed at the unwanted attention from the crew.

Sanji smiled, picked her up, and took her into the galley, closing the door behind him. "It's nothing, I was just thinking," he replied. Forest frowned, not at all satisfied with his answer. "Something's bothering you, that much I know. If you don't want to tell me right now, that's fine, but don't try sugar-coating it and telling me it's nothing. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm stupid," she retorted, leaving Sanji quite shocked. "And how exactly do you know so much? You're vocabulary seems rather advanced for someone your age," Sanji managed to get out after a moment. Forest gulped. She really needed to watch herself or things would start revealing themselves. "Oh, I um..." she was having a hard time coming up with a story when Sanji smiled at her. "How about we finish this conversation later and get to work on lunch?" he said calmly.

Forest smiled and nodded her head. She was glad to drop the subject for now. Besides, she needed to come up with another story to explain her knowledge. Sure, telling them she lived on the streets would explain the majority of it. You either have to learn quick or go hungry on the streets. The problem was people living on the streets don't use words eloquently at all. Hell, they don't use words that would be appropriate in conversation. So how was she supposed to explain the fact that she seems much more educated than a common beggar? Not to mention the lack of slang commonly used by beggars. Forest groaned as she rubbed her head. _Well, this is going to be interesting _she thought to herself.

"Is something wrong princess?" Sanji asked, looking concerned. Forest smiled at the nickname Sanji didn't seem to realize he had called her. It was one fathers commonly used for their daughters. The thought made Forest feel something she hadn't in a while; a strange sense of security. She opened her mouth to reply and stopped herself. _I don't think 'I feel a headache coming on' would be a smart reply in this situation_ she concluded. She looked up to see Sanji watching her carefully. She frowned slightly before answering, "my head hurts, Sanji".

Sanji smiled and told her to go get some fresh air. "I'll finish up with lunch," he said, turning back to the task at hand. Forest smiled sweetly, said 'okay', and ran out the door. She spotted Zoro lying on the grass and lay down next to him, resting her head on his chest. She let her eyes fall closed as her mind kept racing through different ways to explain herself to Sanji. _Eh, if I'm lucky, he'll just drop it altogether. But I really need to start watching how I put things. I am supposed to be 3 after all. _She relaxed as she listened to the steady sound of Zoro's heart and allowed herself to fall asleep.

_Well, it took me a while, but I finally got another update out. ^.^ To be honest, this chapter was rather tedious for me. I wanted to move things along, but I felt I needed to build on Forest and Sanji's relationship to get where I want to go. Anyways, the next update shouldn't take as long (hopefully) as long as things don't get hectic. Reviews are appreciated ^.^_


	14. Sunsets and Storms

_**I finally got a new computer! Thank you guys so much for being patient. I'm sorry I had to keep you waiting this long, but hopefully it will be worth it. I know it's short, but at least it's something, right? I hope you guys enjoy it ^.^**_

_**Guess what? I still don't own One Piece T.T  
**_

Forest stirred slightly as she was gently being shaken awake. She looked up at Sanji's smiling face and tried rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Sanji-san, is lunch ready?" she asked. "It's actually dinnertime now, sleeping beauty. You and Zoro slept straight through lunch," he replied as he bent over to pick her up. He had only lifted her a few inches when he felt a sword against his throat. He looked up in surprise at Zoro. Forest calmly reached up and gently moved Zoro's arm away from Sanji. "Zoro, it's just Sanji," she mumbled. Zoro opened one eye to see a surprised cook staring at him. He grunted as he put his sword away. Sanji held Forest in his arms and looked down at the green-haired swordsman who had already gone back to sleep. "Oi, marimo. Get up. Dinner is ready," Sanji said, heading towards the galley.

_Well, at least I know one way to get him up now_ Sanji thought to himself. _He seems very protective of Emerald._ He decided to figure out why later. _And I'd still like to know why Emerald talks the way she does._ When he had told her "it's nothing" he would have expected her to say "don't give me that bullshit" more than her actual response. After all, she did say she was growing up on the streets. But her language seemed a little more refined.

After dinner, Forest sat on the railing of the deck watching the sunset. Her eyes shimmered as she watched the colors change. There were plenty of clouds in the distance, which added to the array of colors. "It looks like we might run into a storm tonight," Nami stated from behind her. Forest turned to look at her, an annoyed expression on her face. "You can't just sit and look at the pretty colors, can you?" she asked, not bothering to try to hide her irritation. This got Nami and Sanji, who had been coming to check on Forest, laughing. At the sound of Sanji's laughter, Forest turned around excited. "Sanji, look at the sunset!" she exclaimed, pointing towards the west. Sanji smiled as he scooped the girl up in his arms. "Yes Emerald-san, I see it," he replied calmly as he joined her.

They stayed and watched the sunset until the stars came out. "Alright, I think it's about time for bed," Sanji said, heading below deck. "Can I sleep in the library Sanji?" Forest asked, looking up at him with big eyes. Sanji sighed as he opened the door to the library. "You know, it really is hard to say no to you with those big green eyes," Sanji replied, smiling down at her. Forest looked up at him innocently. This time it really was complete innocence. She had noticed when she was young that Zoro had a hard time saying 'no' to her. In fact, he never could say no to her. And on the ship, she was hardly ever told 'no'. She thought they didn't tell her no because she was only 3 years old. "That's why no one wants to tell me no? Because of my eyes?" she asked.

Sanji smiled as he put her in the chair she seemed to have taken a liking to. "Well, we don't like telling you no because we like to see you happy," Sanji explained, "but it makes it even harder to say no when you look at us with those eyes. What Ace said is true, you really do have beautiful eyes." Forest tried to hide her happiness at being told this. When she had been young (the first time) all the kids had made fun of her for her unusually large eyes. "Sleep well Emerald-san," Sanji said as he stood to leave, "I have to go finish cleaning up the galley."

Sanji frowned slightly as he returned to the galley. He had sat for the better part of an hour to watch the sunset, just to make the little girl happy. He sighed as he started cleaning up. He would be up late cleaning now. He heard the low grumble of thunder in the distance. _Great, and to top it all off, we will be running into a storm tonight_ he thought, remembering Nami's prediction earlier. He lit up a cigarette and set to work, hoping the storm would be a calm one, knowing well this wasn't likely to happen.

Sanji left the galley an hour and a half later. They had run into the storm as predicted. Lightning lit up the sky as the thunder boomed. Sanji looked up at the lookout room he knew Zoro was in, most likely asleep. Amazingly, none of the crew seemed to be wakened by the storm. Sanji's hopes were half realized. There was no rain yet and the winds were still calm. Forest's face ran through the cook's mind. _I better check on her before I go to bed_ he thought to himself as he headed for the library. When he opened the door, lightning struck, revealing the child curled up on the chair. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and she was trembling. She looked up and her green eyes locked on Sanji's blue.

"Emerald, are you okay?" Sanji asked, rushing to her. She shook her head violently as Sanji help her close. "I'm so scared of thunderstorms," she replied shakily, "Can you take me up to Zoro please?" Sanji grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her. "Of course I can sweetie," he answered. Forest didn't weigh a whole lot, but Sanji noticed that children seem to get heavier when you carry the up a bunch of stairs. He opened the door to find the first mate asleep on the bed. Sanji sighed as he put Forest next to Zoro. _It's a good thing we don't get attacked when Zoro's on night watch_ Sanji thought. He turned to leave when he felt a small hand grab his.

He turned to see Forest holding on to him, her eyes clouded with worry and fear. "Please stay with me tonight Sanji," she pleaded. Sanji looked over at the sleeping swordsman. "Where would I sleep, Emerald?" Sanji asked, "There isn't a whole lot of room with the marimo's weights." Forest looked at him confused. "There's plenty of room on the bed Sanji," she replied simply, as if it were obvious. Sanji attempted to hide the disgusted look that crossed his face. No way in HELL he was sleeping on the same bed as that damn marimo! Forest's eyes began to tear up. "Please Sanji? Zoro's a heavy sleeper, and I get scared," she whispered.

Sanji wanted to tell her it was better if he just slept in his hammock, but right as he opened his mouth to tell her so, a bolt of lightning struck right outside as the thunder crashed. A look of pure terror crossed the girl's face as she let go of his hand and threw herself face first into the pillow behind her. She pulled her knees back up to her chest and covered her head with her hands. Sanji sighed as he climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over himself and the shaking figure beside him. "Alright, but only for tonight. Do _not_ expect this to _ever_ happen again, okay?" Sanji said, putting his arms around her. Forest relaxed in his arms. Sanji fell asleep knowing she was safe.

Forest opened her eyes to see the cook sleeping soundly. _Wow, that was quick_ she thought to herself. She cringed when she heard another loud crash outside. She couldn't help but let out a slight whimper. Zoro turned over in his sleep and put his arm protectively around her, inches away from the cook's body. Forest turned carefully to face her brother. He never did have a problem sleeping. As always, he was snoring and behind her, she could hear Sanji's steady deep breathing. She closed her eyes and could feel herself drifting off. _Sanji's been watching out for me like a father. And I've got my brother back as well_ she thought to herself before falling into a peaceful sleep. For the first time in years, she felt safe and cared for.

_**That took longer than I thought to write, and it's not even that long. -_- I just wanted to get something out for you guys, and I needed to add a little more to the plot before things get more exciting. I hope it was worth the wait though. Don't forget to review and let me know what you guys think of it. ^.^ **_

_**Bet you can't wait to see Zoro's reaction when he wakes up in the morning ;P **_


	15. Sunrise on a New Day

**Okay, a three day weekend from work calls for a new chapter! ^.^ I know you guys have been wanting to see the crews reaction to the secret getting out about Forest and Zoro. Well, here's a bit of the reaction. Don't hate me if the Spanish isn't quite right. I'm not fluent in Spanish, I only know a little. Hope you guys like it! Enjoy ^.^**

**Disclaimer- still don't own it. No surprise there...  
**

Forest closed her eyes tight as she tried convincing herself she was still asleep. She sighed as she finally gave in to reality and opened her eyes. The sun was giving off its light, but hadn't quite broken the horizon yet. She looked to her left to see Sanji sleeping. She could hear her brother's soft snoring coming from her right. She quietly crawled out of the bed and tiptoed downstairs to watch the sunrise. As she stepped out on the deck, the breeze caressed her face. She took a deep breath and sat down on the grass. _Maybe I should have woken one of them_ she thought to herself_ I don't know if Zoro will like waking up next to Sanji_. She decided she was in a good mood and didn't feel like walking back up the stairs.

Zoro somehow knew Forest had been in his bed last night. He reached up to stroke her hair, but ended up touching someone's hand instead. He opened his eyes to see the sleeping cook. He immediately jumped out of bed and turned his own mattress over, knocking the cook straight on the ground. Not the best wake up call. "What the hell are you doing in my bed?" Zoro yelled at a very pissed off Sanji. "What the fuck did it look like I was doing? I was sleeping, asshole," Sanji replied groggily. Zoro's face turned red with anger as Sanji looked around the room. "SLEEP IN YOUR OWN DAMN BED!" Zoro bellowed as he put his bed back in its rightful place.

"I only slept up here because Emerald didn't want me to leave," Sanji shot back, "where is she anyway?" Zoro's temper seemed to cool considerably at the mention of the little girl. "You might want to check outside. She's probably watching the sunrise," he answered, his eyebrow twitching. That girl really knew how to push his buttons. "Why did she want to sleep up here last night? Doesn't she usually stay in the library?" Zoro asked, trying his best to keep from sounding annoyed. "She was in the library, but there was a thunderstorm last night and she insisted on coming up here with you," Sanji replied, failing to keep from sounding annoyed and slightly jealous.

Zoro bit his tongue to keep from pointing out Sanji's jealousy. It was probably in Forest's best interest to keep quiet. Otherwise, they might find it odd that she is much more attached to Zoro, but she spends most of her time with Sanji. Zoro decided to just leave the conversation at that and head down to the deck. He silently opened the door at the bottom and peeked out. Forest was sitting there, watching the sun coming up from the east. Zoro and Sanji both stepped out, careful not to make any noise. Sanji crept up slowly and put his hands over her eyes. Forest smiled as she reached up to pull his hands down. "Hey Sanji! You're up already?" she smiled as she turned to see him, "it's a good thing you were up before Zoro. He might not have liked waking up to see you next to him".

"Oh, I didn't like it," Zoro answered from behind them. Forest turned, surprised, to see her brother with his arms crossed. She could tell he was clearly annoyed, both with her and the cook. She gave him one of her 'please-don't-be-mad' smiles. Zoro sighed as he turned to the cook. "Why don't you get started on breakfast," he said. It wasn't really meant as a command, but more of a suggestion. Sanji took it as what it was; a way of turning his frustration away from Forest. Sanji smiled as he got up. "Fine, Luffy will be getting up about the time I finish anyway," he answered as he headed into the galley. He didn't mind the swordsman's aggravation being taken out on him instead of the little girl.

As soon as the cook was out of hearing range, Zoro turned to his sister. "Okay, I think it's about time we talked about this," he said, sitting down next to her. She quickly turned her attention back to the horizon. "What is there to talk about?" she asked, avoiding the impending conversation. Zoro picked her up and set her in his lap. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but the rest of the crew is bound to figure some things out eventually," he started, "I think it would be better to tell them the truth. At least let them know your real name. I would also like to know how your life has been. It's been 18 years since I last saw you". Forest looked down at her hands feeling guilty. She had heard about things in his life, especially when the marines happened to come around. She took a deep breath before she started talking. "Well, I have a son now, which is why I originally set out to find you after being turn into… this," she said, gesturing at herself, "his father died shortly after I had him. He was a marine…" Zoro looked down at his sister. He could see the pain clearly written in her eyes.

"Do you know who it was that killed him?" Zoro asked, afraid that the answer would be one of the crew, or worse, himself. "Yeah I know who it was," Forest said, her tone turning dark, "Arlong did". She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Zoro began rubbing her back, which seemed to work much better at calming her than anything she could do herself. She opened her eyes as the delicious smells of Sanji's cooking wafted out from the galley. She darted towards the galley, leaving Zoro a little confused.

"Hey, Sanji?" Forest said sweetly as she entered. Sanji turned to see her. She had her hands behind her back, shuffling her feet with her head hanging down. She looked just like a child who had to tell their parent that they had done something wrong. "What is it sweetie?" Sanji asked smiling. Forest looked him in the eye and took a deep breath as Zoro walked in. "I need to tell you something," she began. She looked back at Zoro, who just nodded. He figured Sanji would be the first one she came clean to. Well, besides Robin that is. She turned back to Sanji, who looked completely confused. She didn't know how much she should tell him. "I, um…. I lied about my name," she started. She turned and looked back at Zoro with pleading eyes. She didn't want to do this by herself.

"Okay, so what is your name then?" Sanji asked calmly, turning the girl's attention back on him. Her head was bowed, but she looked up at him. "My name is Forest," she said quietly. Sanji smiled at her and scooped her up. "Alright then, Forest, would you mind telling me why you lied about your name?" Sanji asked, setting her down on the counter. "Well, yes, I would mind, but I think it's better that I explain everything," she answered, looking back over at Zoro. He sighed and took a few steps toward Sanji, who looked a little shocked over the situation. "The truth is, Forest isn't really three," Zoro started, "she's twenty. She got mixed up with some dark magic…"

"Wait a minute," Sanji interrupted, "So she's really twenty, and her name is Forest. And she told you all of this before she told me?" Forest could see that she had hurt him. "Please let me explain Sanji," Forest said softly. Sanji just nodded and she continued. "I didn't want anyone to know, but Robin had found my bag in the storage room," she explained. Sanji remembered the small bag he had found and left in the room. "In the bag, I had a couple of things that, well, gave my identity away". She pulled out a necklace from her pocket and held it up. Sanji looked at the silver, heart-shaped locket with _Forest _written on it. Forest looked away as she opened the locket to reveal the two pictures. Sanji's eyes grew wide as he looked at the picture of Zoro. He looked at the other picture and his jaw dropped. There was a little boy, who he could assume was Zoro, holding a baby in a pink blanket, smiling up at the camera.

"So… ," Sanji began, unable to finish his sentence. "So, the baby is Forest," Zoro said, "she's really my little sister. Or half-sister if you want to be technical". Sanji looked over at the swordsman in shock. Although he didn't like being lied to, some things seemed to make sense now. Forest's vocabulary, Zoro's over protectiveness of her, her wanting to go to him when she was scared. Sanji looked back at Forest in disbelief. She didn't really look like Zoro at all. _Although he did say she was his half-sister_ Sanji thought to himself. "Why are you telling me this now?" he asked Forest. She looked up at him with watery eyes. "Zoro said it would be better to let everyone know. And I couldn't stand lying to you anymore… ," she looked down at her feet quickly, "I understand if you don't want to talk to me. I've noticed that you care about me. I just wanted you to care about who I really am, not who I was pretending to be".

Forest jumped off the counter and ran out of the room as the tears began spilling from her eyes. Zoro and Sanji both watched her go with sad eyes. Silence followed her sudden departure. "You didn't chase after her," Zoro said, breaking the silence, "why not?" Sanji lit up a cigarette before answering, "For the same reason you didn't. To let her calm down. And I'm guessing she isn't one who likes people to see her cry". Zoro smirked and shook his head. Sanji seemed a little hurt at being lied to in such a way, but he could tell he wasn't angry. "Hold on. Emerald, I mean Forest, said she knows how to speak Spanish. Where did she learn to speak Spanish?" Sanji asked suddenly. Zoro looked over at him with complete indifference. "Well, our dad spoke Spanish, I learned it from him and taught Forest," he said nonchalantly. Sanji looked at him like he was crazy.

"What?" Zoro finally snapped. "All this time we've known you, and you never thought to tell anyone you knew Spanish," Sanji spat. Zoro just shrugged, "Well, it wasn't like we ever needed a Spanish-speaker. So no, I didn't think it was really important," Zoro answered. Sanji sighed, deciding to just leave it at that. "So you and Forest have the same dad?" Sanji asked, trying to be civil towards the swordsman. "Yes and no. He was a dad to both of us, but he wasn't Forest's biological father. June never did say who her father was," Zoro explained, "June was our mother's name". Sanji found it surprising that Zoro knew his question before it was asked.

Sanji started putting the food on the table for breakfast. He had made separate plates for Nami, Robin, and Forest. Zoro helped him get the table set. "So, how do you propose we tell the rest of the crew?" Sanji asked after the table was set. "Just tell them. Though I don't think it will get through to Luffy until she's back to normal," Zoro answered, "I'll take Forest's plate to her". Sanji looked at him a little doubtful. "Do you know where she went?" he asked. Zoro nodded, "she's either hiding in the library or in the bathroom". Sanji picked up the plate and handed it to Zoro. _I'll make her another plate just in case the marimo gets lost_ he decided.

Just then, the rest of the crew bounded in, ready for food. Zoro ducked out with Forest's food and Sanji hid the extra plate. Sanji planned to tell everyone after breakfast, hopefully Robin would be able to fill in any details he left out. _I just hope they don't get angry. I'm sure she had her reasons for lying to us about, well, everything_ Sanji thought to himself. He took a deep breath to keep himself from becoming angry and turned his attention to the ladies.

Meanwhile, Forest had wandered into the workshop while running off to the bathroom. All traces of tears were replaced by an aggravated expression. _You have got to be kidding me! Every time I go looking for the bathroom, I wind up in some other room _she thought angrily, _did they think it was a good idea to make a ship with rooms that move? 'Cuz it's not a good idea. It's irritating. _She sighed and turned around to leave, only to see a certain green haired swordsman looking just as confused and irritated as her. "Zoro, what are you doing here?" she asked. He looked down at her surprised. "I was looking for you. Breakfast is ready," he said, holding her plate out to her. Forest smiled and took the plate from him. They sat down in the workshop, mainly because they were both tired of the moving rooms, and ate the plate of food.

"Why would she lie to US about this?" Nami demanded from the cook. Breakfast had ended and he had told the rest of the crew everything he had found out. "Maybe she lied because she didn't want us knowing the truth," Luffy offered. Everyone just stared at him like he was crazy. "I think that's one I can answer," Robin offered. "Robin? You knew about all of this?" Nami asked. "Well, I got it out of the child after I found her things. She didn't come to me and offer the truth though," Robin said, looking straight at Sanji. Sanji suddenly felt better knowing that she told him of her own free will.

"When Forest was two and Zoro was five, there had been a fire at their house. Zoro thought that his sister and father had died that day. However, their father had gotten Forest out through a back window, he did die in the fire though," Robin explained, "So Forest lied about her name so that Zoro wouldn't find out that she was really his sister". Nami didn't look satisfied with her answer. "That doesn't make any sense. She knew she had family left she could go to, so why didn't she?" Nami shot. "Because I was always different," Forest answered from the doorway, "Zoro didn't have many friends 'cuz he would always defend his misfit sister. I wanted him to feel free to live his life. If he didn't have to look out for me all the time, then he could do what he wanted". Nami's expression softened. Zoro walked up and picked up Forest.

"Don't hold her decision against her. She was only two at the time," he said as he took a seat. Nami looked a bit confused. "Forest, didn't you say before that you can speak Spanish?" she asked. "Yeah, what's your point? Zoro speaks Spanish as well," she said, feeling a bit annoyed. As much time as they spent with her brother, she would have thought that they knew that much at least. "Unless my idiot brother found it unimportant to mention something like that," she thought out loud. "Hey! I am not an idiot, and it wasn't important," Zoro shot back. "Usted es un idioto, hermano. simplemente no se dan cuenta," Forest mumbled, smiling. Everyone stared at her as Zoro's face started turning red. "Cállate! No soy un idioto!" Zoro yelled. Everyone just looked on, hoping for some sort of translation. "Si, claro," Forest replied, rolling her eyes. "Al menos yo no soy un bebé," Zoro grumbled.

Forest glared daggers at Zoro. "If looks could kill, Zoro would have died a thousand deaths," Usopp said. Zoro turned his attention towards Usopp. "You're right, for once. I think I pushed the wrong button," Zoro said, before bolting out the door. "Cobarde! Volver aquí! Te voy a matar!" Forest shouted after him, "huyendo de un bebé!". They could hear Zoro's laughter from outside. "Okay, I think everyone BUT Zoro is lost now. That's a first," Sanji said, pulling out a cigarette. He walked outside, not wanting to smoke around a child, even if she wasn't really a child. She was right now, and that's what mattered.

"Oi!" Zoro yelled to the others, "We've got marines coming our way". _Oh joy_ Forest thought, _this should be fun._ Luffy got a big grin on his face. Apparently things were too boring around here for him. As everyone got ready for a fight, Forest came out to watch the fun. Zoro turned to see her walking out. "Oi, Sanji," he called. Sanji looked over and Zoro motioned towards Forest. Sanji went and snatched up the girl. "Hey! I want to watch, Sanji," she complained. "No, you will stay below deck where it's safe," Sanji ordered. Forest pouted as she looked up at him. "I'm not a baby, Sanji. I'm 20 years old, I can make my own decisions," she argued. Sanji shook his head. "Until you are back to normal, you will not. If the marines see a little girl on our ship, they will take you. Stay below deck," Sanji said. Forest pouted more and crossed her arms. "Damn you and your parental instinct," Forest muttered under her breath. Sanji acted like he didn't hear anything as she listened and stomped off below deck. But inside, he couldn't help but feel proud. Now to take care of these marines…

**Okay, I'm ending it here! ^.^ A bit of cliffhanger, I know. Don't hate me! Besides it was, what, less than a week between these updates? Yay for me! ^.^ Don't forget to review! Seriously… don't forget. I like getting them. Forgetting to review is like forgetting to get me a birthday present. No pressure ^.^;**

Translations**

Usted es un idioto, hermano. simplemente no se dan cuenta** - **You are an idiot, brother. You just don't realize

Cállate! No soy un idioto! - Shut up! I am not an idiot!

Si, claro - yeah, right

Al menos yo no soy un bebé - At least I'm not a baby

Cobarde! Volver aquí! Te voy a matar! - Coward! Get back here! I'll kill you!

huyendo de un bebé! - Running away from a baby!


	16. The Battle Begins

**Thanks for the reviews ^.^ I had a couple of people mention the father of Forest's child, and I'm pretty sure I know who your were thinking, so I had to clarify it WASN'T who you thought. To be honest, I hadn't actually thought of the father when I started writing the story. ^.^; I just decided making it a marine would add a little controversy, kind of like with Luffy and Garp. Anyways~ enjoy the new chapter. That's a command by the way. You have no choice, you must enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to do this again? Are you serious? Okay, fine. I don't own One Piece, never have, and chances are probably never will. Happy now?**

Forest wandered around while the others got ready for the marines. She didn't know where she was going (is that really a surprise?) but she wanted to find something to do. She ended up in the bathroom. _You have got to be fucking kidding me! I start looking for something interesting, and NOW I find the bathroom!_ she thought to herself, frustration taking over. _That's it, I don't care what Sanji says, I'm going back up on deck_ she decided. She headed back towards the deck (or so she thought) and wound up in the… bathroom. She bowed her head in defeat and sat down in the tub. _This sucks. I know! Maybe if I leave and try to find the bathroom again, I'll be on the deck!_ she felt triumphant. She ran out of the bathroom, only to find herself in the library a few moments later.

_Well, it's better than the bathroom anyway_ she concluded. She sat herself down on her favorite chair and picked up a book. And that's when she realized… she had to pee. Her eyebrow started twitching, much in the same manner Zoro's does when he gets irritated or annoyed. She knew better than to go looking for the bathroom. If she did, she was bound to end up in the room furthest from it. _I should have known something like this would happen_ she thought angrily. Despite knowing better than to leave the room, Forest went against her better judgment and (what do you think?) left the room.

~~~~~~~~~liNe bReaKer, dON't reAd tHiS!~~~~~~~

Back up on the deck, everyone was getting ready to do battle. The marine ship was closing in on them, and a thick fog was setting in. Zoro had his bandana tied around his head. Sanji had a cigarette lit up. Nami had her Clima-Tact ready. The rest were waiting for the moment the battle started. The ship was now close enough for the marines to start climbing aboard. And of course, that's when a certain green-eyed little girl decided to wander, hopelessly lost, onto the deck. Despite trying to keep quiet, the whole crew noticed her. You see, Forest is a natural klutz. She could manage to be completely silent when it was necessary. Life or death necessary. But when it came to 'let's-not-get-in-trouble' necessary, it seemed to kick in full gear.

In her attempt to sneak back on the deck, she happened to trip over some of Usopp's supplies that were left out; thus alerting the crew to her presence. Her timing couldn't be worse. Just as everyone turned their attention towards her, the marines happened to climb aboard. Her eyes widened as she realized the situation she had caused. Fortunately for the crew, their strength was much more than the marines'. Unfortunately for them, the marines had already spotted Forest. "Someone get the child," Forest heard one of the marines yell. She turned back to run below deck, someone close on her heels behind her. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She turned and ran into a room for safety. She just happened to have run into…. The bathroom. Again. _FUCK! You have got to be SHITTING me!_ Forest kicked herself mentally.

She could hear running footsteps getting closer. Forest jumped behind the curtains hanging around the tub. She thought she was safely hidden, not knowing the person had seen where she had hidden herself. A woman pulled back the curtains. Forest looked up at the woman. She had short, dark hair and was wearing glasses. "Don't worry child, we'll take care of you," she said in a kind voice, smiling at Forest. "Um, I'm sorry miss, I think you misunderstand the situation," Forest said politely, completely throwing the woman off guard. Forest took this chance to dart out of the bathroom. _I've got to get back on deck_ Forest though franticly. She ran full speed. The woman had only taken a step out of the bathroom and turned in the direction the girl had run off in.

She turned to look the other way when the girl came flying around the corner. She halted to a stop, trying to turn and run in the opposite direction. "SHIT! Damn it, why can't I find it!" Forest blurted out as she headed once more for the deck (tried to anyway). The woman watched her go, not chasing after her for being in shock. She looked like a toddler, but she spoke like she was much older. And she reminded her of someone, but she couldn't quite figure out who. Forest finally managed to find herself back on deck. She looked around to find her brother. She spotted him, fighting near Sanji, over by the rail. She started running off in his direction. She caught Zoro's attention, turning it away from the fight still going on. Zoro opened his mouth to yell something at her. At that moment, Sanji had swung a kick at some marines between him and Zoro.

Zoro, who hadn't been paying attention, was sent flying overboard, unknown to the rest of the crew. Forest ran to the edge and jumped straight into the raging ocean. She could hear Sanji screaming something back up on the ship, but couldn't make out what it was. She turned her attention back onto her brother who was slowly sinking. She swam to him, with quite an impressive speed I might add, and grabbed his arm. She attempted to swim back to the surface, but even with her speed in the water, she was making slow progress. After all, she was a small three year-old, and Zoro obviously outweighed her by a lot. She began to get angry with her brother. She turned and placed her forehead against her brothers and concentrated…

"Luffy, Forest went overboard! I have to get her," Sanji yelled at the captain. After taking care of the marines around him, Sanji dove into the ocean, leaving the rest for Luffy to take care of. He swam as quick as he could into the deep to find the little girl. He hadn't gone that far when he saw her. She was struggling to pull someone back up to the surface. She was about as far down as he was, but fifteen feet away. Sanji saw the bandana on the head of the one she was trying to rescue. _How did that damn marimo end up down here _Sanji thought angrily. Zoro wasn't one to be knocked out by some stupid marine. He could see Forest was making progress to the surface, though rather slowly. He began swimming towards her when he saw her turn towards her brother. She lowered her head so their faces touched and closed her eyes. _Don't tell me she's giving up_ Sanji panicked.

He started swimming faster, then suddenly stopped. When Forest's and Zoro's foreheads touched, a faint glow came from the area of contact. Sanji watched, wide-eyed, as Zoro seemed to regain consciousness. A panicked look crossed his face when he noticed the lack of air in his lungs. He immediately began swimming upwards, leaving his sister behind him. The glint of something golden caught Forest's eye. She turned to see Sanji swimming towards her. She glared at him and shook her head, pointing towards the surface. Sanji looked at her, confused and shocked. She then rolled her eyes and began swimming upwards herself. Sanji followed suit, having a hard time keeping up with the young girl… uh, woman.

They broke through the surface and managed to get back on the ship. The battle wasn't quite over yet. Zoro and Sanji returned to the fight, back-to-back this time. Forest ran to find a safe place to hide until it was finished. "What the hell were you thinking, you damn marimo?" Sanji yelled. "Me? You were the one who kicked me over the edge of the ship," Zoro shouted back. Sanji bit down on his cigarette. He wasn't really talking about Zoro getting knocked off the ship, but he hadn't realized it was him who had done it. "That's not what I meant, damn it," Sanji muttered. Sanji kicked the last of the marines off the ship, ending the fight. "Then what did you mean?" Zoro asked, turning towards him. Sanji opened his mouth to answer when they both heard a little girl cry out.

"Zoro, Sanji!" Forest screamed as she wriggled out of the marine captain's hands. She began running towards them when she was caught by… smoke? "What the…," the girl wondered as she was being brought back to the captain. Zoro and Sanji's eyes went wide as they both darted for the girl. She looked back to see the captain, holding two cigars in his mouth, his forearm had dissolved into smoke. He called to the few remaining marines left onboard. They jumped back on their ship, the captain still holding Forest tight. Realization flashed through Forest's eyes as the marine ship departed. She looked back to see her brother and Sanji being held back from jumping in the ocean.

"Would you two stop being stupid?" Nami yelled at the two frantic crewmates trying to make a jump for it, "The ship is too fast, we just have to follow them". Zoro and Sanji both turned to glare at her (yes, Sanji is actually glaring at Nami). "I. Will. Not. Lose. Her. Again," Zoro stated, rage dripping from every syllable. "You expect us to sit here and do nothing? They took Forest!" Sanji shouted. Everyone stared at him, shocked. Well, everyone but Zoro; he was too busy being pissed. "Wow. Sanji is actually yelling at Nami," Usopp said quietly. A glare from Sanji quickly shut him up. " I apologize for raising my voice, but I refuse to sit idly by while they still have her, Nami," Sanji stated. Nami sighed and closed her eyes. "She will return to us," Robin explained, "but to attempt to rescue her now would be reckless". Sanji sighed and lit up another cigarette. Zoro just turned away to look out over the ocean in the direction the other ship had taken off in. Nami turned the ship to follow the marines while Usopp kept a lookout, keeping the marines in sight.

~_**right here would be a good place to end, but I'm gonna keep it going ^.^**_~

-Back on the marine ship-

Forest watched as The Sunny turned course to follow the ship she was on. She turned to glare at the man holding her. "You shitty devil-fruit user! That was so cheating!" She yelled at the captain. Many jaws hit the ground at the sight before them. A toddler was talking back to their captain, not to mention her choice of words. The captain was surprised, but smiled after a moment. "I'm sorry you see it as cheating, but I believe that everyone should play to their strengths," he replied. The girl's face fell, showing a look of absolute irritation. She knew he had a point. "You're a jerk," she said simply. "Well, this jerk is going to take you back to your parents. What are your parents names?" he asked. "Well, aren't you the knight in shining armor?" Forest retorted sarcastically, "My mother is June and my father is Yaxha. Don't bother taking me to them though".

"And why don't you want to go back to them?" the man asked. Forest shrugged, "I guess I wouldn't mind visiting their graves, but I'd really rather just go back to the pirates". The captain looked straight into the girl's eyes. She didn't seem to be lying, but she had complete indifference to talking about her dead parents. "So that makes you an orphan. In that case, we'll drop you off at the next island and find you a good family," he announced. Forest merely glared at him. "Like hell I'll let that happen. What's your name anyway?" she asked. The man smiled before answering. "I am Captain Smoker," he replied, "Tashigi! Take this girl and get her washed up".

The woman from earlier came and took the girl from Smoker. She carried her off below deck and brought her into a bathroom. Forest looked around as she set her down. Forest turned and looked Tashigi straight in the eye. "I don't want to go, Tashigi. Isn't there something you can do?" she asked sweetly, her eyes tearing up. Tashigi looked into the girl's eyes, and couldn't come to tell her 'no'. "It will be alright, you'll see," she said smiling, "I'll make sure you go to a good family". Forest looked down at the ground, hiding her face so that Tashigi couldn't see the annoyed expression on her face. "Those pirates _were_ a good family to me," she said, her voice tightening, "you don't know anything about them, Tashigi. They would never do anything to hurt me. They watch out for me. Why did you take me away from them?". Forest's voice now sounded close to tears.

Tashigi felt her own eyes brimming with tears. She didn't know everything about the straw hat pirates, but she knew they would never hurt a child. "I wish I could do something, but I must follow orders," Tashigi said, her own voice beginning to tighten. Forest put her hands over her face. "I just want to go back home," she whispered. Tashigi bit her lip to keep the tears from falling. She took a deep breath and held it. She closed her eyes and sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she said to herself. Behind her hands, Forest wore a victorious smile, unknown to Tashigi. _It is so easy to play her heartstrings_ Forest thought to herself.

~_**Again, another good place to end it, but I think you guys would like to read some more**_~

Tashigi quietly tiptoed back up to the deck, the young girl right behind her. They made their way over to the boats. Of course, Forest being a natural klutz and Tashigi being unbelievably clumsy, they both happened to trip over, well, there wasn't really anything to trip over. Alas, they both tripped over… air, causing a loud noise as they knocked over several things. Unfortunately, this gave away their position and, even more unfortunate, Smoker was the one to inspect the commotion. Well, he wasn't happy to see his second-in-command trying to sneak his… let's say 'prisoner' off the ship. He somehow knew exactly what Tashigi was trying to do.

"I think I'll watch over the little brat myself," Smoker said as he reached for Forest. Forest merely smiled and jumped straight off the side of the ship. The truth was, Forest didn't expect Tashigi to really be able to get her off the ship unnoticed. What she really needed was for Tashigi to get her up to the deck. Forest wouldn't be able to find the deck on a strange ship (hell, she had trouble finding the deck on The Sunny). She began swimming in the direction opposite of the marine ship. Well, she _thought _it was the direction opposite (remember her sense of direction?). When she resurfaced, she expected to see the pirate ship that had been tailing them. Needless to say, she had gone in the wrong direction. "…. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" she shrieked, to no one in particular.

"Tashigi, what the hell were you THINKING?" Smoker yelled. Tashigi bowed until she was practically touching her hands to the floor. "I apologize, Smoker sir. The girl said she wanted to be back with her family, with the straw hats," she explained hastily. She knew Smoker would not accept it as an explanation. Smoker glared at her. "I hope you're happy now. None of the marines could find her in the ocean. Three dozen men jumped in after her and couldn't find her. She was only two or three years old, Tashigi. What do you think the chances are of her being able to swim?" Smoker finished. Tashigi's eyes widened at the thought. That could only mean… "Chances are that she's dead now. She drowned because you didn't follow orders," Smoker accused, "Get out of here. Now.". Tashigi ran out of the room, tears flowing from her eyes.

Forest searched around for a sign of a ship. She stopped suddenly, squinting to see a dark shape in the distance. Her heart jumped as she dove underwater. She swam as quickly as she could towards the figure. When she resurfaced, her heart sank several inches. The ship was in plain sight now. It wasn't the pirates she was looking for though. At least it wasn't the marines either. It was rather small for a ship, more like a boat. It had two candles burning green on either side of it. The small… boat came right up to Forest. There was only one man sitting in it. "Um, can I get on?" Forest asked shyly. The man didn't answer, but reached over and pulled her onboard. "What is a small child like you doing in the middle of the ocean?" the man asked, keeping his face hidden under a hat.

"The marines took me from my family," She answered hesitantly, "I jumped off their ship because I knew I would be able to swim back to my family, but I went the wrong way…" she trailed off. "What is your family name?" the man asked her. She studied him for a moment before answering. "Roronoa," she answered honestly. The man sat in silence for a few minutes. "So the infamous Roronoa Zoro is your father?" the man asked quietly. "Um, he's my brother actually," Forest corrected. She could see the man smirk. "I think I'll be able to get you back to your brother…" he replied. Forest knew she should feel happy about getting back to the straw hats, but something about this man was off…

**Okay, NOW I'm ending it. I think ending it here is more of a cliffhanger than the other possible stopping spots :P Am I evil? Why, yes. Yes I am. But don't let that stop you from reviewing! After all, this is the third chapter in one week ^.^ I guess I'm just on a roll here.**

**Just a note, Yaxha is a name I found online. Its origin is Spanish and it means "green water", which I thought would be funny, seeing as Zoro has the same color hair as his dad. XD**


	17. Reunite For A New Adventure

_**Maybe ending it with a cliffhanger is not such a great idea. I just makes people demand a new chapter. I was hoping the ship wouldn't give it away, but it did. v.v Anyways~ enjoy!**_

_Mihawk's eyebrow began twitching as the young girl continued her questions. Why did I agree to take her back again?_ Mihawk asked himself angrily. "HEY!" Forest shouted, "I've asked the same question three times now, Mihawk, and I don't like being ignored". Mihawk looked over at the girl. For the last hour she had been asking him questions. At first he thought it was cute, but now it was just irritating. He was sure she now knew everything there was to know about him. "You don't seem very happy," she said, "why don't you smile? Your eyebrow is twitching. Zoro's does that too. Is that a swordsman thing or something?".

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Mihawk spat. He hadn't meant to sound mean, but his tolerance of the young girl was growing thin. "How does Zoro put up with you?" the word came out before Mihawk had realized it. He looked at the young girl, a shocked and hurt look in her eyes, though it was quickly replaced by anger and… _mischief?_ Mihawk thought, seconds before Forest promptly shoved him into the ocean. Mihawk was taken off guard as he felt himself falling. The girl had a lot more strength than he would have thought. Oh well, it was the Grand Line after all. Stranger things had happened.

Mihawk was fuming as he pulled himself back onto his… ship, (It's more of a boat, really. I mean, come on. That thing is way too small to be a ship. Anyway~ ^.^; on with the story) only to see the young girl sitting in _his _seat. He shot her a glare that would send even the bravest marines running for the hills. Forest merely rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, come on. Quit with the glaring, you know you deserved that," she said, "you really shouldn't talk that way to little girls". Mihawk clenched his mouth shut, trying his best not to shout horrible things at the girl. "You're obviously not truly three years old," he replied, "I don't know if you've had a run in with Jewelry Bonney or…" "With who?" Forest interrupted, "Who's she? Does she turn people into little kids?" Mihawk was taken aback from the sudden change of behavior.

"You've never heard of Jewelry Bonney?" Mihawk asked. Forest shook her head. "Does she have a devil fruit power? She can change someone's age?" Forest asked, unable to hide her excitement. Mihawk picked her up and sat down. "Don't touch me, you're all wet," Forest protested. He smiled as he set her down on his lap. "And whose fault is that? She can manipulate a person's age, yes," Mihawk answered, "So you haven't met her yet, but you have been turned into a three year old". Forest sighed as she looked down at her feet. "I got mixed up in some dark magic," she explained, "I thought it would shorten my life, but instead I got turned into a baby. I'm really twenty".

Mihawk set her down on the floor. "What did you do that for? I really don't care if you're wet," Forest said, it was much more comfortable on Mihawk's lap than it was on the hard floor. "You may look like a child, but you are a young lady," Mihawk explained, "I just don't think it's very appropriate for you to be sitting in my lap". Forest crossed her arms and began pouting. After about five minutes of pouting, she finally turned her attention back to Mihawk. "Mihawk? Do you know where this Bonney girl is?" she asked hesitantly. Mihawk looked down to see the eager look on the girl's face. "I have an idea of where she might be, yes," he answered, eyeing the girl, "why?". "I want to go see her. I want to go back to normal," she said, looking up into the sky.

Mihawk sighed as he put his head down. _She's not going to like hearing this_ he thought to himself. "If I recall correctly, she isn't too fond of your brother, or the rest of that crew, for that matter," he told her. She turned to look him in the face. "Can you take me then?" she asked, "she doesn't have to know I'm his sister. Me and Zoro don't really look all that much alike. I just really, really, _really_ want to go back to normal". Mihawk looked over at the girl. "You pushed me off my ship," he said bluntly. Forest face fell in annoyance. "Get real, Mihawk. This is a boat. No way it would ever qualify as a ship," she retorted. "Are you forgetting to whom you are asking a favor?" Mihawk shot back, rolling his eyes. "Oh yeah," Forest remembered, "Please Mihawk?". He turned to look back at the girl. Big mistake. She had put on her best puppy dog eyes. Mihawk quickly averted his gaze, afraid he might just give in. Then he saw something in the distance. "How about this. We'll talk it over with your brother," he said, keeping his eyes on the ship in the distance. Forest whipped her head around, her whole face lighting up.

~~~LiNE bREaKer~~~~

Zoro had been sulking for the last thirty minutes. When the whole crew had gone into the galley for lunch, he had stayed out and decided to change the course of the ship. It took until the end of lunch for anyone to notice, at which time Zoro had already been taking a nap. The crew was not happy with him, to say the least. Everyone was furious with him. Well, everyone one but Luffy. He seemed to think that letting Zoro steer the ship was a great idea. At which, the crew turned on the captain.

So Luffy and Zoro were both sitting on one side of the deck sulking. Sanji refused to go near either one of them, saying if he did that he would kill the both of them. Even Chopper was giving them the cold shoulder. Robin kept quiet through the whole thing, but approached them now. "Swordsman-san, why did you think it wise to change course?" she asked calmly. Zoro looked up at her. "I couldn't see the marine ship anymore, and the cloud we had been following wasn't in front anymore, so I turned the ship so it was," he replied confidently. Robin couldn't help the irritated sigh that escaped her. Zoro looked down at his hands. "I screwed up, didn't I?" he asked quietly. Robin just nodded. She was at a loss for words at Zoro's regret.

She decided to turn her attention to Luffy. "Captain-san, why did you think it was a good idea to let Zoro steer?" she asked, trying to keep her tone calm. Luffy looked up at her in surprise. "Because I didn't think Forest would stay on the marine ship for long. So if she wasn't on their ship, she would try to get back to us," he answered as if it where obvious. Robin looked at him, amazed. "And if she tried to get back to us, letting Zoro change course is a good idea?" she asked, astonished. Luffy grinned. "Zoro has a horrible sense of direction," he stated.

Sanji came flying over to strangle his captain. "Of course he has a horrible sense of direction! That's why that's a stupid idea! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Sanji bellowed as he kicked the crap out of Luffy. Rather than try to help Luffy, everyone backed away, in fear of being caught by Sanji's wrath. "But that's why it was a good idea," Luffy stated. Sanji stopped his assault to look at his captain in complete shock. Had his kicking caused some serious brain damage? "It seems like every time Forest was walking around the ship," Luffy began, "she would end up lost, and she would wander into the same rooms Zoro does when he's lost. So if Forest was by herself, she would get herself lost. Letting Zoro steer would get us lost, but we would find Forest". Everyone looked at Luffy as if he had just announced he was going to be a vegetarian. Sanji let go of Luffy. "For once, I think Luffy just might be on to something," he said before walking away. "Yosh," Luffy said seriously, "Forest has a horrible sense of direction too".

Zoro was irritated at everyone agreeing on his horrendous sense of direction. He decided he could overlook it though, since they believed they were closer to finding his sister. He got up and wandered into the galley for some sake. He opened the door to find Sanji scrubbing a single dish, quite violently too. He tried to ease the door closed without being noticed by a VERY pissed off cook. Unfortunately, Sanji had heard the door open and turned around immediately. "Oi, marimo. Come here," he said curtly. Zoro walked up to him and looked down at the dish that seemed to be calling for help. What had the dish done to be treated like this? "Sanji, I think it's clean now," Zoro said slowly. Sanji glared at the swordsman as he finished with the dish and put it away. (I'm sure the dish would have thanked Zoro… if a dish could talk)

"Before they got Forest, why did you leave her?" Sanji asked, getting straight to the point. It was Zoro's turn to glare. "I didn't leave her, Sanji," he snapped, "we both tried to go after her, as I remember it…" "That's not what I'm talking about!" Sanji yelled, "under the water, when she was trying to help you, you swam to the surface, leaving her behind!" Sanji was fuming as he finished. Zoro looked shocked and… cornered. Sanji wanted an explanation, and he didn't have one to give. Zoro opened his mouth to answer when they heard Nami outside. "Oi! Zoro! Come quick," she called. Sanji felt a little hurt. If they had found Forest, why wouldn't they call him as well?

They found Nami at the front of the ship. "What is it?" Zoro asked anxiously. Nami pointed out to the sea. Coming straight at them, right in front of them, was a… boat/ small ship. Zoro's jaw clenched as he recognized the candles burning green on either side. Sure, he wanted another shot at beating Mihawk, but now was NOT the time. He needed to find his sister first.

~~~liNe bREaKer~~~~iGnoRE tHiS~~~~

Forest couldn't help but jump up and down as they got closer to the ship. She could see Nami at the front. "I think she saw us, Mihawk!" she squealed in her excitement. Mihawk looked at her in amazement. If he hadn't already found out about her situation, his doubts of her age would have been erased in that moment. Forest suddenly stopped jumping around as she looked around the boat. "This boat looks like a coffin", she said suddenly. Mihawk sweat dropped. _Now I see the resemblance between her and Zoro_ he thought. "Yes, that it does," he replied. She looked up at his face. "You're pale and have yellow eyes," she observed. Mihawk's eyebrow began twitching again. "What are you getting at Forest?" he asked, irritated. "Are you a vampire?" she asked quietly, looking down. The boat was close enough to The Sunny to jump aboard now. _Thank god_ Mihawk thought.

(should I end? Nah, let's keep going!)

Zoro and everybody had backed away from the edge, waiting for Mihawk to board. He jumped up on the ship, holding a small figure in his arms. He was right in front of Zoro and held out the girl. He looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Take her. Now. Please," he said. Zoro stood in shock. The man he thought would be coming for a fight was holding his sister out to him. Sanji raced forward and took Forest in his arms. "Uh, Zoro. Aren't you happy to see me?" Forest asked cautiously. Zoro snapped out of his stupor. He wasn't one for showing a great deal of emotion, but he snatched Forest from Sanji and held her close, completely forgetting about Mihawk. The rest of the crew just stood in utter shock. Luffy had been right… in a sense. Mihawk had found the girl, but she had definitely gotten off the marine ship and gotten lost trying to get back to them. Luffy wore a huge grin on his face.

"Told you guys Zoro steering was a great idea," he said simply. Forest looked over at Luffy. "You let Zoro steer? How stupid can you be? He has a horrible sense of direction!" she scolded. Luffy's grin disappeared and was replaced by a frown. "So do you, that's how I knew he would find you," he replied, again, as if it were obvious. Forest blushed and turned away, causing Luffy's grin to reappear. "Well, now that she is safe, I will take my leave," Mihawk said hastily. This caught Forest's attention immediately. "But Mihawk, you said we would talk to Zoro about going to find that one girl," Forest cried. Mihawk suddenly went into a sort of emo mood. "I did say that…," he trailed off.

Zoro looked down at the girl in his arms. "What girl, Forest?" he asked. She looked up at him grinning. "Mihawk mention a girl who could make me older again," she explained. Zoro's eyebrow began twitching. He knew one girl who could change a person's age, and she didn't like the straw hats very much. "See Mihawk," Forest said, pointing to Zoro's eyebrow, "I told you. His twitches too". Zoro glared at her. "Sí. El suyo también lo hace. Es causado por la irritación," Zoro explained. Mihawk stared, amazed. "Oh," Forest said innocently. Pause. "Ohhh," she said, realization dawning on her.

"Okay, I'm not entirely positive I'm correct, but I believe that was Spanish," Mihawk said slowly. Forest rolled her eyes. "Anyway~, Mihawk said he would take me to see her and get back to normal, okay?" she said sweetly. Zoro looked into her happy eyes. He sighed and turned away, he didn't want to see the reaction. "No," he said. Period. Forest looked hurt. She really wanted to get back to her twenty-year-old self. She sighed deeply. "I understand how you feel, but I really need to get back to normal," she said sadly. Zoro turned to Mihawk. "You have an idea of where she might be?" he asked. Mihawk nodded. "Fine. Then you can take us to her. When we get there, Mihawk can take Forest to get changed back, but you are not going by yourself Forest," Zoro ordered. Mihawk's eyebrow began twitching again.

"You assume I will comply," he said, "I was only with her for a few hours before getting irritated, and you want me to stay on the same ship as her for who knows how long?". Forest's face fell. "I only wanted to get to know you, Mihawk," she whispered, putting her head down so no one could see her face. The crew turned to look at Mihawk, their expressions clearly saying 'how dare you hurt her feelings like that'. Mihawk could see this was one he would not win. "Fine, but as soon as she's back to normal, I leave," he said. Forest's triumphant grin was only seen by Zoro, who was holding her, and already known by Robin, who seems to just _know _things. Franky and Usopp got Mihawk's boat tied on to sail behind them. Mihawk went over to one of the trees and sat down, putting his head down. _This is going to be a long trip_ he thought. When he had picked up the young girl, he had not expected to be dragged along on an 'adventure'.

**Luffy actually had a thought out plan! Who saw that coming? XD I guess my Spanish was accurate a couple chapters back, since no one said otherwise. So I decided to use some more Spanish. ^.^ Okay, so I calculated and I average 3 reviews per chapter. I decided I want more than that. So when I get an average of 4 reviews per chapter, I'll post a new chapter! Yeah, that might not seem like much, but that would come out to 68 reviews before the next chapter… Please don't hate me ^.^;**

Sí. El suyo también lo hace. Es causado por la irritación. à Yeah. So does yours. It's caused by irritation.


	18. Switch Up

**So, I finally decided to try going further with this story! A special thanks to LeFay Strent for her reviews, which inspired me to give this story another shot! So, when I started this story, I had initially intended for it to be a romance. I still plan to do this. I also had planned to have yaoi included. I also still intend to do this as well. For any of my readers who do not like yaoi, I do apologize for not warning you beforehand, but it will be present in newer chapters. I know it's a short chapter, but hey, it's an update. I don't own anything. Enjoy ^.^**

Everyone sat strangely quiet at the table at dinnertime. It just didn't seem right, Mihawk being there. Forest seemed to be the only one comfortable with the other swordsman's presence. The tension didn't get any better after dinner either. No one would approach Mihawk. Zoro working out on the deck with his shirt off didn't help matters any. The scar across his chest just served as a reminder. Forest, however, had never seen the scar before and didn't know the story behind it. "Zoro, where did you get that huge scar from?" Forest asked curiously. Zoro thought carefully before choosing his words. "I lost against a swordsman who was better than me," he answered slowly. Forest instantly turned to glare at Mihawk. "And you automatically assume it was me?" Mihawk snapped, aggravated by the tension. All because of this little girl. If it wasn't for her, he never would have been dragged along to find Bonney.

"Well, was it you?" Forest asked. "Yes," Mihawk answered bluntly. Unfortunately for Mihawk, he had not learned his lesson from before. Even more unfortunate... he was standing next to the railing. Of course, Mihawk yet again found himself being pushed into the ocean... by a 3 year-old. Mihawk was helped back onto the ship by Zoro, his anger radiating from his soaking form. "Yeah, you might want to watch out for that one. She tends to get an attitude," came a voice from the other side of the ship. Yet again, a familiar form was crouched on the side of the ship. Sanji picked Forest up before she could attempt to shove Ace into the waters as well. "I didn't think I'd find you with the Straw Hats, Mihawk. Did you come to challenge Zoro?" Ace questioned. "I got dragged along to find Bonney," Mihawk answered, still fuming. Ace's expression turned to one of confusion. "Why? Doesn't she hate the Straw Hats?" he asked."I'm doing it for the brat that just threw me overboard," he answered flatly.  
Ace couldn't help but laugh. "She seems to be a handful. If you'd like, I could take you guys there," he said, turning his attention to his brother and crew, "I just happen to know where she's headed." Luffy couldn't have more enthusiastic about the idea. So much so that he decided they would have a party that night. "With lots of food, Sanji!" he exclaimed. No longer needing to show the way, Mihawk gladly took this opportunity to leave. He untied his... boat from the Sunny, ready to depart. While everyone else was excitedly talking, Zoro separated from the crowd and went to where Mihawk was getting ready to leave.

"We'll have our battle another time," Mihawk stated. Zoro, however, had his thoughts elsewhere. "Thank you," he said. Mihawk merely looked at him, a little confused. "For bringing her back. I don't know what I would do if I lost her again. So, thank you," Zoro explained. Mihawk could have complained about her being such a brat. After all, she had annoyed him to no end, and shoved him into the ocean... twice. But something about Zoro's genuine gratitude seemed to make it not so bad. "You're welcome," Mihawk replied, before taking his leave. "Awe, he's not staying for the party?" Luffy frowned, watching Mihawk's boat grow more distant. Zoro turned to face him. "Did you expect him to?" he asked. "Well, who doesn't love a party?" Luffy grinned. Zoro smiled as he looked back out over the ocean. "We should probably explain everything to Ace. He doesn't know about Forest yet," Zoro said, heading into the galley. "Good idea! Just wait till he finds out she's your sister!" Luffy exclaimed, seeming way too happy about telling Ace.

As soon as Zoro entered the galley, the door was closed behind him. Zoro whipped around to find himself face to face with Sanji. "No more avoiding questions, Zoro. I want to know why you left Forest underwater. She's in the body of a three-year-old, and you left her down there. You're going to tell me now," Sanji commanded. There seemed to be a dark aura around him. Zoro swallowed, knowing he was cornered on this. The only problem was it wasn't something he thought he should tell. After all, this wasn't about him. It was about Forest. Sanji took another step towards the swordsman. "Well?" he said patiently.

**Well, that's all I've got for now. I will try to be better about updating. Don't forget to review!**


	19. Giving Life

**Wow, I'm on a roll now. This one is definitely longer than the last one, I promise! I have to give thanks to hayba, who offered to help me with my Spanish translations! Muchas gracias! I really do appreciate it, but unfortunately I am very impatient. I know I probably should have waited until I got the corrections back (if there were any, which there probably were) but I really, really, REALLY wanted to get this chapter out! Mainly because I've got the next one already started. Things are starting to move along again, but if you ever have any suggestions or anything you want to see in the story, just PM me! Enjoy!**

Zoro sighed and turned his head away from the cook. "I suppose you do deserve an answer," he said slowly, "but I just can't give you one." Sanji's face started turning red with anger. "You think you're the only one that cares about her, you shitty marimo?" he seethed, "I want to know what the FUCK you were thinking leaving her behind! She could have drowned!" Sanji couldn't keep his voice from getting louder. His anger was getting the best of him. Zoro turned to glare at him. "I understand you're angry, idiot cook, but do you honestly think I would leave my sister in danger? There is a reason I left her behind, I just can't tell you," Zoro said, managing to keep the volume of his voice low. Zoro turned and left the galley before the hot-headed cook could lose his temper.

Forest ran up to her brother. "What's going on? I heard Sanji yelling. Are you two fighting again?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "He wants to know why I left you underwater," Zoro answered. Forest just nodded slowly. "I didn't tell him anything," he told her. Forest looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you," she replied, grateful for her brother still sticking by her after all these years. Zoro just smiled and walked away, looking for a place to take a nap. He felt mentally drained after everything that happened so quickly.

~~~~~~~~~LinE~~~brEaKer~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"SHE WHAT?" Ace shouted. His brother's crew had just finished explaining the whole situation with Forest. "She's Zoro's little sister! Isn't that awesome?" Luffy asked innocently. "Then what was her issue with me before?" Ace demanded. It was one thing for a three-year-old to just not like him. Now that he knew she was really twenty, it seemed more like she had a personal vendetta against him. "Well, if you really want to know, I'll explain it to you in private," Forest answered, coming up to the group. Ace looked at her for a few moments before giving a nod. "Let's go somewhere a little more secluded then," she said, turning to find a more private place. The rest of the crew watched them leave. "Well, I think I'll go see if Sanji needs any help preparing for the party tonight," Nami announced before leaving the group. Robin followed her, she was sure Sanji wouldn't mind the extra company. Luffy looked over at Usopp with a huge grin on his face. "What?" the sharpshooter asked tentatively. Luffy pushed him over before shouting "You're it!", thus starting a game of tag.

"So, why do you hate me?" Ace asked as they entered Zoro's room. Neither of them noticed Zoro trying to sleep on his bed. "Because it's your fault I'm like this," Forest answered brusquely. Ace just stared at her wide-eyed. "How is it my fault you're a baby?" he asked, resulting in a glare from Forest. She did NOT like being called a baby. "I had a little boy shortly after I turned 17. When he was about 3 months old, our house was attacked by some pirates," she explained, "My husband was a marine and was killed during the attack. I tried to run, but didn't get very far with my son when they caught up to us. I was standing with my back to a cliff, ready to jump if I needed to, when..." "When I intervened," Ace finished for her. He was in absolute shock. He remembered that day clearly, "but what does that have to do with you being 3 years old?" Forest looked him in the eye. "You saved my life that day," she started, " so when you had lost your life, I had gone to this old man on the island where I lived. He practices dark magic. I explained to him what had happened, and he told me I could give up some of my life to extend yours".

Ace had to sit down. He was having a hard time taking everything in. _So I had died_ he thought to himself,_ but..._ "Why are you a child then?" he finished his thought out loud. Forest looked purely annoyed now. "I figured my life would be shortened by however many years I gave up," she answered, "but instead I ended up that many years younger". Ace looked at the little girl in disbelief. "So... I have 17 years to live," he asked slowly. Forest nodded. "You saved me when I was 17, so I figured I would repay the favour," she stated. Ace couldn't help but smile now. He had been given a second chance at life. "Yeah, glad you're happy. Meanwhile I'm stuck as a baby, that is unless this Bonney chick changes me back to my normal self," Forest snapped. Zoro sat up in his bed. He had intended to get some sleep, but he was glad he knew what he did now. Forest's eyes grew wide as she finally noticed her brother in the room.

" Cuanto tiempo lleva alli?" she asked quietly. "Todo el tiempo. Es mi habitacion despues de todo," Zoro replied, not looking up at her. " Que demonios? No podrias decir algo antes?" she snapped. "Si yo tuviera, yo no lo hubiera escuchado todo," he replied bluntly, still avoiding her gaze. Ace merely watched, helplessly. He had no idea what was going on anymore. "Este es el punto! La intencion era entre mi y Ace!" Forest yelled, not worrying if anyone heard them. " Asi que nunca planearon en dejarme saber?" he said quietly, looking her in the eyes. Forest dropped her gaze, suddenly becoming very interested in her feet. "... Yo... Lo siento," she said quietly. Zoro stood up and walked over to her. "Lo siento demasiado. Pero no mas secretos, bien?" he replied, picking her up and holding her close. "Bien," she promised, burying her face in his chest, "Te amo". "I love you, too," Zoro smiled.

Ace began feeling a little awkward, like he was invading their moment. "Okay then, I assume everything is settled now, so I'll just head back downstairs," he said, inching his way towards the door. He wasted no time in getting back down on the deck, where his brother promptly forced him to join their game of tag. Forest and Zoro came down shortly after. They watched Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Ace playing tag for a few moments. Zoro looked down at his sister. "You did the right thing," he stated. Forest just nodded and smiled. "I'm gonna go help Sanji," she said quickly before running off to the galley, going in the right direction for once.(miracles do happen!)

**Yay for another update! Hopefully they keep coming! I have a poll on my profile for anybody who is interested, but I won't tell you what it's about. Don't forget to review! ^.^**

Forest: Cuanto tiempo lleva alli?

Zoro: todo el tiempo. Es mi habitaci n despues de todo.

Forest: Que demonios? No podrias decir algo antes?

Zoro: Si yo tuviera, yo no lo hubiera escuchado todo.

Forest: Este es el punto! La intencion era entre mi y Ace!

Zoro: Asi que nunca planearon en dejarme saber?

Forest: ... Yo... Lo siento.

Zoro: lo siento demasiado. Pero no mas secretos, bien?

Forest: Bien. Te amo.

roughly translates to:

Forest: How long have you been there?

Zoro: The entire time. It is my room after all.

Forest: What the hell? You couldn't say something before?

Zoro: If I had, I wouldn't have heard everything.

Forest: That's the point! It was intended to be between me and Ace!

Zoro: So you never planned on letting me know?

Forest: ... I... I'm sorry.

Zoro: I'm sorry too. But no more secrets, okay?

Forest: Okay. I love you.


	20. Revealing Secrets

**Yay for updates! I'm really getting back into this story. I can't thank you guys enough for sticking with me through that horrible, creativeless curse I had. To make it up to you... I don't know, you guys choose something. If you have any request, for a story, or art, or anything I can manage to do with the talents I have, just let me know! Also, I have a poll on my profile. I don't tell you guys this for no reason, I really want to know what you guys think, so please, please, PLEASE take a few moments to partake!I am nothing without my readers!**

Forest ran into the galley to find Nami and Robin already helping. Forest's face fell; she felt a little jealous and like she had been replaced. 'I'm being stupid. I think I've been a child so long I'm starting to act like one'. "Forest-chan! Did you come to help me?" Sanji asked, smiling. "Yeah, but it looks like you've got enough help. I'll just go outside," Forest answered, refusing to return the smile. Robin smiled in understanding, causing a bit of discomfort for Forest. She STILL didn't like that woman's smile. "That's okay, Forest. Navigator-san and I were just leaving. For a party this big, Cook-san will need your help," Robin said, the smile never leaving her lips. "Fine," Forest replied, glaring at the older woman. She was catering to her for acting childish and jealous, and Forest knew it. The ladies left the galley and closed the door behind them, giving Sanji and Forest complete privacy. Forest helped Sanji gather everything he would need. They didn't say a word to each other as Sanji got things ready. There was an odd tension in the air. Forest was hiding something from him, and he knew it.

"So, Forest," Sanji began, "there was something I wanted to ask you about". Forest looked down at the ground. "Can you just forget about what you saw in the water?" she asked quietly. She had secrets she wasn't quite ready for him to figure out. "I don't think I can," Sanji replied. Forest sighed and looked up at him. "I know you want answers, Sanji. And I want to give them to you, but you need to understand where I stand on this," she said, "I told you before, the neighborhood kids, when Zoro and I were growing up, made fun of me because I was so different". "Forest, if you hadn't noticed, everyone on this ship is different," Sanji replied, smiling. Forest just looked back down. "I've spent years trying to hide my differences. Differences that caused so many problems in my childhood. You can't just expect me to open up so easily," Forest whispered, trying to keep her voice even. She felt like he was expecting too much of her.

"Forest, don't be upset," Sanji paused in his work and picked her up, holding her close, "I just want to know what's going on. I understand it's hard, but I'm not going to look at you any different. Just talk to me". Forest buried her face into his shirt. She could smell a mixture of cigarettes and spices, which seemed to calm her down. She took a deep breath before answering. "Okay, well first, don't be mad at Zoro for leaving me behind. He was running out of air, and he needed to breathe," "That doesn't mean he should leave you! You need..." Sanji started, not meaning to interrupt. "Sanji, shut up and let me finish," Forest snapped. Sanji looked a little taken aback. "Don't get mad at Zoro, he already knows my secrets. He knew it was safe to leave me underwater. You see," Forest said, pulling her hair up and away from her ears. right behind her ears were several slits. Gills. "I can breathe underwater," she finished. Sanji didn't know what else to do but stand there shocked. "Well... That makes a lot of sense then," He said slowly, the words having a hard time forming.

Forest looked at him with suspense. 'He's just gonna think you're a little freak, just like everyone else does' she thought to herself. Sanji smiled at her. "I really wish I had known that before," he replied, "It would have saved a few arguments with your brother". Forest smiled. "But that seems to be the only time you two talk, is when you're fighting," Forest giggled. Sanji's smiled disappeared as he thought about that. He and Zoro did fight a lot. Looking back, he couldn't remember a conversation they had in which they weren't fighting. "Uh, earth to Sanji," Forest waved her hand in front on Sanji's face, trying to get his attention. "Sorry princess, I just realized that Zoro and I do fight a lot," He answered, smiling again. Forest's face lit up. "So you're gonna try to get along with him," she asked excitedly. 'Does it really matter that much to her?' he thought to himself. "Yes, it does," Forest answered. She instantly clapped her hand over her mouth, her face turning a slight shade of red. Sanji's eyes got big. "How did you know what I was thinking?" he asked, shocked. Forest lowered her hand, looking down. It was hard to avoid his gaze when he was still holding her.

"Well," she said, looking back up at him, "Did you see, underwater, when I had put my head against Zoro's?" Sanji simply nodded. "This one is harder to explain," Forest said slowly, "If I concentrate, I can match brain waves with another person. I can communicate telepathically, hear their thoughts, or manipulate their level of consciousness". Sanji's mind went blank as he tried to comprehend what she was telling him. "So... you can read minds," he said, not really making the words himself. His brain just seemed to have shut off. Forest rolled her eyes. "The mind is not like a book you can simply open and browse through at your pleasure," she explained,"I can only hear thoughts as you think them". Sanji's mind seemed to have caught up with him finally. "And manipulate a person's level of consciousness," he repeated, "so underwater, you were waking Zoro up so he could get back to the surface himself". Forest smiled and nodded. Sanji's mind had gone from completely shutting off to running overtime. He couldn't believe she possessed so much power. And in such a small body at that. "But how did you end up with these powers?" Sanji wondered out loud.

Forest's face fell at that question. "Well, as far as the brain waves, I don't know. It's just something I've always had. But breathing underwater..." Forest trailed off. At that point Luffy burst into the room. "Sanjiiii~ Where's the fooood~?" he complained. "Cooking," Sanji said shortly. Forest had buried her face back into Sanji's shirt. Luffy noticed her in Sanji's arms. "Hey, Forest! Come play tag with us!" Luffy rushed over and snatched her out of Sanji's arms. "Luffy, be careful with her! She's still in the body of a 3-year-old!" Sanji lectured. Luffy's grin turned into a frown as he held her close to his chest. "I'm not gonna hurt her Sanji. I'll be careful. Besides, you and Zoro would kill me if she got hurt," he pouted. Luffy only wore a red vest, so Forest was being held against his bare chest. She could hear his heartbeat as he and Sanji argued. "She came in here because she wanted to help me. Go get Zoro to join your stupid game," Sanji said reaching for Forest. Luffy pulled back, wanting to spend time with the little girl. "But you and Zoro always get to spend time with her. It's my turn now," Luffy argued. "Luffy," Forest said quietly. Both men looked down at her, a small hint of a blush spreading across her cheeks. "I may be in a child's body, but I am twenty. Could you please put me down?" she asked, avoiding his gaze. (again, hard to do when somebody is holding you) Luffy frowned again. "But Sanji and Zoro always hold you," he retorted.

Zoro walked in and took his sister out of his captains arms. "Luffy, she doesn't want to play right now. I'll join in in a minute, but let me talk to my sister," he said, pushing Luffy out the door and closing it on his face. Zoro turned around, holding his sister close. "So, what are you two doing?" he asked, looking straight at Sanji. "Sharing secrets," Forest told him honestly. "Really?" Zoro looked down in surprise. "Yeah. And... I'm sorry about before," Sanji said, avoiding eye contact with the swordsman. Zoro stared at him in surprise. Did the idiot cook just apologize to him? "Forest showed me her gills," Sanji explained, "I wouldn't have gotten angry with you if I had known. So, I'm sorry". "No problem," Zoro said, somewhat in a daze. This behaviour was unusual to him. 'He's trying to be nicer because I want you two to get along' Forest explained. 'Oh' Zoro thought, 'that makes a lot of sense. As much of a brat you are, people still do anything to make you happy'. Forest stuck her tongue out at him. "So... what else were you talking about?" Zoro asked, trying to keep things from getting too awkward. "I was just asking her how she got her powers," Sanji answered.

"Oh," Zoro said, turning to Forest, "Did you tell him?" "Not about the gills," Forest replied, looking down. "Did you want me to tell him?" Zoro asked, putting his arm around her protectively. Forest just nodded, keeping her gaze aimed down. "Okay, but you go outside and play," Zoro ordered. Forest happily obliged, running out to join the game of tag, much to Luffy's, and Ace's, delight. "So," Zoro started, turning towards Sanji, "the abomination of a mother we had the misfortune of having had cheated on our dad. That's how she ended up having Forest. Well, she had happened to cheat on him with a merman". "So," Sanji replied, "She's half..." "mermaid, yes," Zoro finished for him. "Do you two know who her biological father is?" Sanji asked, remembering back to Arlong Park. He wondered if any of those had been her real father. "Yes," Zoro answered, turning his gaze away from Sanji, "Her biological father is... Arlong".

**Did anyone see that coming? Seriously, did you? I'd like to know if I'm being predictable or not... ~aaannnyyywayyys~ don't forget to review! I love reading all my reviews. When you guys don't review... well, I go back and read all the ones I've gotten so far. I read them over and over cuz it makes me happy, but it would make me happier to get to read some new ones!**

**Forest: And the girl can use all the happiness she can get. Her work is trying to kill her.**

**Me: They just need help. I like helping others...**

**Forest: Yeah... so help her out! Even if you reviewed previous chapters, or even this chapter. REVIEW AGAIN!**


	21. More Games

**Hey, look! Another update! Okay, so I've been spending the whole day writing (They moved me to graveyard shift tonight) and I've got a couple more updates ready. BUT I'm going to be selfish and only put them out once I average 4 reviews per chapter. That makes 84 reviews before the next chapter... please don't hate me!**  
** Anyway, I hope you guys like this one! It's another cute one :3  
**

Out on the deck, Forest was getting frustrated trying to catch the others. She was small, even for a 3-year-old, so her little legs couldn't move very fast. Even Chopper could outrun her. "Guys, I'm not good at this game. Can we play something else?" she asked, as she missed tagging Usopp for the third time. "What do you want to play?" Ace asked her. Forest looked longingly out to the ocean. She would love to play something in the water, but she knew that Luffy, Ace, and Chopper couldn't go in the water. "How about hide-and-seek?" Luffy suggested. Forest shook her head. If she could figure out where the HELL everything was on this ship, it would be fine. But most of the time, she ended up lost. A mischievous glint came to Forest's eyes. "Can we play dress-up?" she asked excitedly. Ace, Usopp, and Chopper all looked at her like she was crazy. Luffy however had a huge grin on his face. "That sounds like fun," he yelled, throwing his arms in the air. "Luffy..," Usopp started. "Captains orders," Luffy said quickly. Robin smiled, hearing the game Forest had chosen. _She may be twenty, but she certainly is acting like a child _she thought. "I have plenty of clothes, if you would like to use them," she called to Forest.

Luffy burst into the galley and grabbed Zoro by the arm, dragging him out onto the deck. "Zoro, come on! We're playing dress-up! Captains orders!" he exclaimed. "No," Zoro replied flatly. Luffy turned around with a very serious look on his face. "Then you tell your sister no," Luffy said. Zoro looked over at his sister, who seemed to be thrilled with the idea. "Zoro, you're playing too? This is gonna be so much fun!" she squealed. Zoro looked at the rest of the crew, who seemed to be just as mortified at being forced into this. With the exception of Robin, who wore a very mischievous smile. "Why are you so happy about this?" Zoro growled. "Robin says we can use her clothes and stuff!" Forest explained. Zoro's eyebrow began twitching, causing Forest to frown. "Am I irritating you?" she asked, her eyes becoming watery. "Of course you aren't," Nami answered for him, "and we'll use my clothes, too. I've got plenty of accessories as well. But if you guys rip or break ANYTHING, you are buying me new things". Forest was nearly jumping up and down. "Zoro, come on! We'll pick out clothes for each other!" she said, dragging him towards the girl's room... sort of. "The room is the other way," Robin said gently. Luffy grabbed Ace and Usopp, following Forest. "Come on you guys, let's go play!" he exclaimed, just as excited as Forest.

Fifteen minutes later, Forest came running back on deck, wearing a green baby doll top of Nami's. Robin had helped her tie some ribbons, so it wouldn't fall off. For Nami, it was a shirt, but Forest was using it as a dress, as it fell clear down to her ankles. She had on Robin's white hat, which kept falling down over her eyes. "Nami, look," she said, raising her arms. Nami smiled and picked her up. "Why didn't you pick out some shoes to go with it?" she asked. Forest frowned, "I don't like shoes". Luffy came bounding up, wearing a low cut tank top of Robin's, and one of Nami's longer skirts. He had two small pigtails in his hair. "Hey Nami, Do you like my hair?" he asked, grinning. "I did it for him!" Forest yelled, raising her hand. Nami laughed, moving Forest over onto her hip. "You did a very good job," Nami replied, giving the young girl praise. "You should see Zoro! I picked out his clothes for him and everything," Forest explained.

Usopp came up, blushing madly as he tried pulling the rather short skirt down further. He had let Robin pick out the clothes for him, hoping she would take pity on him. She had not. He wore black tights with a short, dark blue skirt and a white top with frills, complete with white boots. Robin had also pulled his hair up into a high ponytail. Chopper, who had not taken part in dress-up, just shook his head. Ace came walking up. He had let Forest pick his clothes out as well, which proved to be a better decision that letting Robin do the choosing. He had on a dark red, one-sleeved top with a long, black, peasant style skirt. He had his hair braided. A braid above each ear, and tied together in the back. "At least I didn't get stuck in a miniskirt," he said grinning. "Shut up," Usopp muttered, "Hey, where's Zoro?" Robin came up, dragging a very unhappy swordsman with her. "He's right here," she answered. Robin had changed into a sleek, black dress that hugged her figure, with a slit straight up to her thigh. For Zoro, Forest had picked out a princess-style dress. The top was a deep green that was rather tight on his muscled torso. The bottom flared out at the waist and a slightly darker green than the top. The sleeves looked like little poof balls, and completed the look with a thick, black headband. Zoro's eyebrow was twitching worse than before.

At that moment, Sanji walked out carrying drinks for everybody. He stopped dead in his tracks as he witnessed the sight before him. He looked over everyone, noticing, of course, Zoro dressed up like a princess. He put the drinks down before busting out laughing. Robin smiled as she walked up to him. "I'm glad you are amused, cook-san, because it's your turn now". Sanji stopped laughing and looked at her, wondering if she was serious or not. "I'll pick out your clothes, Sanji," Forest offered, getting down from Nami's hip. Before Sanji could object, Forest grabbed him by the hand and dragged him below deck. Rather than laugh at Sanji's misfortune, all the guys were nervously readjusting to try to make the clothes fit more comfortably. For Usopp, this meant constantly pulling at the miniskirt in failed attempts to make it longer.

It only took Sanji about five minutes to change and come back on deck. Robin wondered if it was because Sanji didn't argue, which all the others had done before being forced into their clothing. Forest had picked out a dark blue, halter top dress. Sanji was carrying Forest, who was pouting. "Forest-chan, what's wrong?" Nami asked sweetly. "He wouldn't let me pull his hair back," Forest explained. She hadn't expected him to let her, but she had been hoping. Sanji set her down and went back to his cooking, putting an apron on to keep the dress clean. "Doesn't seem like Sanji put up much of a fight," Usopp commented. "He didn't," Forest said, "He's not difficult like the rest of you". "Oi. I think we should go change back," Ace said, looking out to the horizon. "But we haven't had a tea party," Forest pouted. Ace turned his attention to the little girl. "I'm sorry Forest, but I'm not going on the island dressed like this," he smiled.

At that, the guys started scrambling below deck to change. In less than five minutes they were emerging in their normal attire. Forest frowned as she made her way into the galley. "What's wrong princess?" Sanji asked. "It takes less than five minutes for them to change back. If they hadn't argued so much, we could have had a tea party," Forest explained. Sanji just looked puzzled. "Oh, right. Ace spotted an island," Forest said. Sanji put his finished dishes on the counter. "Can you make sure Luffy doesn't eat these while I go change?" he asked. Forest nodded hesitantly, not sure if she could stop the captain if he tried. Sanji paused in the doorway. "We can still have a tea party if you like," he said, "We just won't be dressed up". Forest smiled. Most of the time, Sanji catered to her. He really did treat her like a princess.

**So, not as long as I was hoping, but I wanted to stop before I got to... the island. Yeah, that's it. The island. I've got the next 2 chapters already done! I'm hoping for the reviews! If not... well, I've got a lot more to the story left. Don't forget to partake in the poll! I'm offering a chance to have a say in how certain aspects of the story go... or you could leave it completely up to me. Your call.**


	22. A New Daddy

**So, I got enough reviews for a new chapter. Sooner than I thought, actually. Hope it's long enough for you guys! Next update will come out when I get... 110 reviews! Why? Because I need some time to write a nice, long chapter like this one. Looking at how the poll is going so far, I've set things up so things can go either way.**

After lunch, they started to dock at the harbor. Forest had managed to keep the food safe. She decided she would rather wear her white dress into to town. Brooke and Franky had both offered to stay on the ship so Forest could go out in the town with her brother. (After, of course, she had thrown a fit that Zoro was staying on the ship) She, Sanji, and Zoro were all going together, so they had one person who could find their way back. "You seemed rather willing to put on that dress, cook," Zoro commented as they made their way through the streets. Forest frowned, she didn't want them fighting. Sanji merely smiled. "You're just jealous because I looked better than you," he said. Forest had to suppress a giggle as Zoro's eyebrow started twitching. Zoro opened his mouth to yell at the cook when he felt Forest squeeze his hand. He looked down to find her shaking her head.

_He's trying to be nicer. Can't you do the same?_ Forest asked. _I'm sure you had something to do with that_ Zoro thought back. _It doesn't matter. He's the one doing it, and you're not. Be nice_ she scolded. Zoro sighed and looked away. He couldn't argue with her, especially if the cook really WAS trying to get along with him. Forest smiled as she grabbed Sanji's hand. Sanji looked down and smiled at her. "I think we should get you some new clothes," he suggested. "I think that's a great idea," Robin said from behind them. "We'll take her shopping," Nami told them, picking Forest up. Forest lit up at the idea. "Okay, but not too many new things," she said, "I'm hoping to go back to normal soon". Nami smiled. "Maybe we can get you something to keep your hair out your face, too," she said.

Forest, Zoro, and Sanji all exchanged looks. Nami didn't notice as she ran her fingers through Forest's hair. Robin, of course, had noticed it. The three girls wandered into the closest clothing store. Nami set Forest down and immediately started looking through the dresses. She picked out a couple and went to pick Forest back up. Forest stepped back and looked up at her. "I'd rather have Robin help me, if that's okay," she said. Nami just smiled and nodded, handing the clothes over to the older woman. Robin took Forest's hand and led her back to the dressing rooms.

"So, do you want to explain what that was about," Robin inquired, keeping her voice down. _Don't talk. I can hear your thoughts. I don't want Nami finding out_ Forest explained. _Okay. Well, there's one secret down_ Robin thought. Forest put her finger up to her lips, telling her not to speak as she pulled her hair up to show Robin her gills. _Well, that's interesting. I assume you inherited that from your biological father. So why don't you want Nami to know?_ Robin asked. Forest looked down, a slightly ashamed look crossing her face. _My biological father is Arlong_ she explained. Robin gently forced Forest to look up at her. "That is not something you can choose. And it certainly doesn't define who you are," she said aloud. Forest smiled sadly. She knew Robin was right, but she still felt... ashamed? Guilty? She wasn't sure what it was she felt, but it was definitely negative.

They came out of the dressing room, not looking all that happy. Robin smiled as she handed the clothes back to Nami. "They all fit perfectly," she said. Nami looked a little suspicious as Forest tried to keep her fake smile in place. She shrugged and went to pick out a few more outfits. A few minutes later everyone in the store turned their heads as Forest started yelling at Nami. "I don't want to wear them!" Forest yelled. Nami frowned as she tried to hold on to the screaming three-year-old. Forest thrashed about, refusing to put on the brand new shoes Nami had bought her. "You have to wear them Forest. And stop causing a scene," Nami hissed. Forest pulled her knees up to her chest and held on to her feet.

"Come on Forest, you need to act your age," Nami growled keeping her voice low. Forest turned and glared at her. "I'm only three. I am acting my age," she argued. Robin came up and pulled her feet away from her body as Nami slipped the shoes on. Forest frowned as she was forced to wear the shoes. "They're trying to eat my feet," Forest mumbled under her breath, causing both women to laugh. "Be glad we're not making you wear socks as well," Robin said as she took the young girl by the hand. Forest continued pouting as they looked for her brother and the cook. They soon found them, Zoro being forced to carry everything Sanji had bought. Sanji smiled as they approached. "Forest, you look beautiful," he said. She had on her white sundress, a new pair of white sandals, and her bangs were pulled back and fastened with a ribbon. (Robin had insisted on leaving the sides down, so Forest's gills weren't showing)

Forest ran over and jumped into Sanji's arms. "Sanji, can we go for ice cream?" she asked sweetly. Sanji looked over to Nami for approval. Nami rolled her eyes and handed some more money to Sanji. "Fine. You three go, we're heading back to the ship," she said as she and Robin took everything from Zoro. Forest smiled and waved as the girls left. As soon as they lost sight of them, Forest looked at Sanji. "Can I take the shoes off now?" She asked quickly. Sanji laughed. "Is that the only reason you wanted to go for ice cream?" he asked, smiling. "Well, no. I want ice cream too," Forest answered. Zoro smiled as he took the shoes off for her. "I think she needs to get used to wearing them," Sanji said, taking the shoes from Zoro. "She's always hated shoes. I don't see why we have to force her to wear them," Zoro argued. Sanji put the shoes back on Forest and set her down.

Forest sighed as she admitted defeat. "You can take them off when we get back to the ship," Zoro promised. Sanji wanted to argue that she needed to get used to them, but decided Zoro was making a fair compromise. Forest held both their hands as they went to get ice cream. She was ecstatic when Sanji let her get a double scoop. "Forest, you need to slow down. I don't want you getting lost," Sanji called as she took of running. "I won't," she called back, whipping around the corner. She ran right into a pair of legs. She looked down at her ice cream, which was no longer on the cone. "Awe," she sighed sadly, looking up at whoever it was she had smeared her ice cream all over. Her face went white as she looked up into a familiar face... holding two cigars in his mouth.

"You..." he started. She backed up slowly, but he was quick to grab her. "How did you survive?" he questioned as she struggled. "Put me down!" she demanded. "How did you get here?" he asked, ignoring her cries. "Daddy!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She could hear two pairs of footsteps coming towards them, and another set coming from the other way. "I thought you said your parents were dead," Smoker said, narrowing his eyes. "Forest!" Zoro and Sanji cried in unison. Smoker merely smirked. "So which one is your 'daddy', Forest," he asked. Zoro instantly ran at the man, pulling out his swords, Sanji following suit soon after. Forest continued struggling, not answering.

_He knows neither of them are_ she thought to herself. When she had called them before, she had said both their names. Not to mention, she had actually given him her parents names. "Daddy!" she yelled again. Zoro and Sanji's attacks were useless against him. "Which one is your new daddy, Forest?" he asked again, easily floating out of reach. Forest smiled as she saw who the last set of footsteps belonged to. "He is," she answered calmly. Smoker went to turn around when he was hit with fire, causing him to release Forest. She hit the ground running, jumping straight into Ace's waiting arms. Smoker stared in disbelief at the man he had thought to be dead. Ace held Forest close with one arm as he glared at Smoker.

"Don't ever touch her again," He growled, handing her over to Sanji. "Take her back, I'll meet you guys there," Ace ordered. Sanji, Zoro, and Forest left in a hurry for the ship. As soon as they could see the ship, Sanji yelled at Zoro to go ahead and warn the others they were leaving. Zoro bolted ahead. Just as Sanji and Forest were passing a shop, a lady walked right in front of them. Sanji couldn't stop in time. Forest flew out of his arms. "I'm terribly sorry Miss," Sanji apologized, handing the woman's glasses back to her before looking around frantically for Forest. "Um, did you lose something?" the woman asked kindly. Sanji turned back around and smiled gently at her. He opened his mouth to answer when her expression changed completely. "Black Leg Sanji, you are hereby under arrest," she stated, drawing her sword. Sanji was torn; should he stay to find Forest, or run. He can't fight a woman!

_I'll be fine, Sanji. Go!_ Forest told him. Sanji sighed and turned. Tashigi was a little shocked and it took her a moment to realize what just happened. "Hey, come back here!" Tashigi yelled. She went to follow but ended up tripping. "Dammit," she muttered to herself. There was no way she could catch him now. Forest watched quietly from the alley way. If only she could get to the ocean, she would be safe. Tashigi sat up and straightened her glasses. She just happened to look over in the same direction where Forest was watching. Forest met her gaze and swallowed hard. _Fuck my luck_ she thought to herself. "Uh... hi?" Forest said quietly. In her current form, there was no way she could outrun her. There was a chance Tashigi would fall again, but an equal chance it would be Forest falling.

"I... I thought you had died," Tashigi said, walking over to the little girl. "No, but I don't want to go with you," Forest said, backing away at the same pace. Tashigi wasn't going to let anything happen to this girl again. "It's okay," she said, smiling sweetly, "We'll find you a nice home". Forest looked up at her with her puppy-dog eyes. "But I already have a home, and a daddy, too," she said quietly. Tashigi stopped in her tracks. "You... have a dad? But I thought you said your parents were dead," Tashigi was becoming confused. "I have a new daddy. He loves me very much and protects me better than anyone else could. Can I go find him?" Forest started tearing up. On the inside, she was laughing like crazy. Women are so easy to fool! Well, except Robin.

~~~Meanwhile, on the ship~~~~

"Where is Forest?" Zoro yelled as Sanji boarded. "I... I dropped her," Sanji said, looking completely guilty. Zoro started turning red, his rage 2 seconds from exploding. "Why did you drop her?" Robin asked calmly. "I didn't mean to! I ran into this marine woman, literally!" Sanji protested. "Forest had flown out of my arms. Forest had told me to leave her behind, I didn't want to," Sanji tried explaining, sounding rather upset. "If she told you that, how could you not find her!" Nami yelled. "Because Forest-chan can communicate telepathically," Robin explained. "You still shouldn't have left her," Luffy piped up. Everyone stared in shock at the captain. He hadn't said anything to Zoro when Zoro had left her underwater, or when he changed the ships direction, although that one he had agreed with. "I'm sorry," Sanji said, lowering his head. He couldn't find anything else to say.

"Is everyone here?" Nami asked, still fuming. "Everyone except Ace," Usopp answered. Zoro turned to walk off the ship. "Oi, don't leave, you'll get lost," Franky said, receiving a glare. "Ace will bring her back," Luffy said with full confidence. Zoro stopped and turned around. "If he doesn't, I'm throwing you back out there to get her," Zoro snarled. Luffy grinned. "Ace will bring her back," he repeated. Zoro went straight to working out, trying to vent his anger that was building up. Why couldn't they understand how he felt? He was not going to leave her again.

~~~Back to the alley~~~~~

"Well, I... who is your daddy?" Tashigi tried regaining her composure. Forest could hear someone running. She looked past Tashigi just in time to see Ace run by. "Daddy!" she yelled, darting under Tashigi's legs. Ace halted to a stop, looking rather pissed. Hadn't he given her to the cook? She ran towards him, but was picked up by smoke. Ace's aura turned dark suddenly. Smoker reappeared, holding the struggling 3-year-old once again. "Didn't I tell you? Never to touch her AGAIN!" Ace screamed. Smoker quickly handed her to Tashigi. "Smoke against fire. You know neither of us can win. Except this time, it's you who can't get past me," Smoker sneered. Ace suddenly felt hopeless. He knew Smoker was right. Forest stared at him with watery eyes, real tears shining for once. "Daddy, help me!" she cried weakly. She couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. The sobs started shaking throughout her body.

"Tashigi, take her back to the ship NOW," Smoker ordered. Tashigi was feeling torn. She had the option to follow orders, or disobey again and let the girl go. "Daddy, don't let them take me!" Forest cried out, trying to contain her sobs. "Tashigi, what are you waiting for? GO!" Smoker barked. Forest turned her attention to Smoker. "Why do you do whatever it takes to make me miserable?" Forest asked, tears still falling. Ace took this chance to start the fighting. "I won't let you be raised by pirates! Tashigi, now!" Smoker yelled, keeping Ace away from the girl. Tashigi turned to head back to the Marine ship. She couldn't disobey orders again. "NO!" Ace bellowed, tears beginning to fall from his own eyes. Smoker started struggling with holding him back.

"You can't take her away!" Ace yelled, his voice strained. Tashigi kept running, tears rolling down her face as well. "Tashigi, don't take me away from my daddy," Forest cried, struggling to free herself. "I'm sorry, but Smoker is right. You shouldn't be raised by pirates," she sobbed, not slowing her pace. "They're better people than you fucking marines!" Forest shouted wriggling free. She took off back towards the fight. "No, stop!" Tashigi yelled, chasing after her. Forest saw a few onlookers outside one of the shops. _Perfect_ she thought. "Kidnap, Kidnap!" she started screaming. This caught everyone's attention instantly. People in the shops came out. Forest ran right past them. "No, she's an orphan!" Tashigi argued. The townspeople wouldn't let her pass. Ace and Smoker were still fighting. "Forest, go!" Ace yelled at her. His tears had stopped, but you could easily see the trails they left behind.

Forest ran by, but she knew there was no way to outrun Smoker. She could see the smoke coming up behind her when she felt someone grab her waist. She turned to see an arm stretched out from the harbor, wrapped around her waist. "Oh shit," she said before she went flying. Ace smiled as he fell back from the fight. She was safe now. He quickly fled back to the ship, which was already setting sail.

"Got her!" Luffy yelled, pulling his arm back. "Don't fucking hurt her!" Zoro yelled, dropping his weights. He knew how reckless his captain could be. Luffy jumped back just as Forest was about to hit him, pulling her gently against him. He looked over at Zoro, a hurt expression on his face. "I wouldn't hurt her, Zoro. I know what I'm doing," he stated. Zoro's eyebrow started twitching. "So, all those times you plowed right through me, you knew what you were doing?" he growled. Luffy grinned. "I don't have to hold back on you. You can take it," he said. Zoro's temper went up a few more notches. "Why you..." he started. "Uh, Zoro. He is still holding me you know," Forest pointed out. Zoro went back to his weights, going even faster than before.

Luffy set Forest down and threw his arm back over the ship. Forest's eyes went wide in realization. She ran behind Sanji, who seemed to be sulking in the corner. Moments later, Ace came flying over. Luffy felt no need to slow things down for his brother, and the both went crashing right into Zoro. "Damn it! Why can't you do things with less destruction," Zoro yelled, picking his weights up off Ace. Luffy replied with a laugh. Ace got up, not caring about his aching body at the moment. He went over and picked up Forest, holding her tight. To everyone's amazement, Forest threw her arms around his neck. "Why is it I always have to save your sorry ass?" Ace joked. Forest laughed. "As long as you're my 'daddy'. Until I'm back to normal," she said.

Sanji sat watching the two. He didn't want to say anything to them, and didn't want them to notice him. He felt horrible about leaving Forest behind, even if she had told him to. Ace set Forest down and she ran straight over to Sanji, throwing her arms around him. Luffy, Zoro, and Ace glared daggers at him. Forest could feel their stares and turned around. "Why are you guys mad at Sanji?" she asked innocently. "He left you behind," Zoro snarled, still trying to keep his temper in check. "I told him to," Forest frowned. "I don't care! He never should have left you," Zoro argued, his voice rising.

"He trusted my decision. There's nothing wrong with that. You wouldn't be so angry if it was Luffy who told him to leave him behind," Forest retorted, keeping her voice low. "Luffy es no tres anos," Zoro pointed out. "Tengo veinte anos," Forest snapped. "Eres una nina," Zoro replied. Forest glared at him. "I told him to leave me. You have no right to be mad at him," Forest growled. Sanji sighed as he stood up. "Forest, I don't need you to fight my battles for me. If he wants to be angry, let him be angry," he said, sulking into the galley.

**Wasn't that a nice chapter? Don't forget to review! Now for a short translation:**

****Luffy es no tres anos - Luffy is not three years old

Tengo veinte anos - I'm twenty years old

Eres una nina - You're a little girl


	23. Truth, Trust, and Jealousy

**Okay, so I got enough reviews... again, sooner than I thought I would. I'll be busy for the next... who knows how long. I love getting reviews, and I'm glad for those who review so often. I would give another deadline, but I don't know if I'll have the next chapter done by then. Hints at the pairings are starting. If you don't like the pairings I have set, then you should pay attention when I say I have a poll out. No complaining about pairings! Hope you like the chapter!**

"Now look what you've done," Forest snapped at her brother. "What I've done? He shouldn't have left you behind," Zoro replied, his voice rising in anger. "If you remember, you left me behind in the water," she shot back. "Only because I was out of breath and you can breathe underwater!" Zoro yelled, forgetting the rest of the crew was still there. "What?" Nami yelled. Zoro paled as he realized what he had done. "Thanks a lot," Forest said quietly, running into the galley, slamming the door behind her. "Forest, I'm sorry," Zoro called after her. "When did you guys plan on telling the rest of us?" Nami asked, irritation radiating from her. "She didn't want you knowing," Zoro answered. "Why wouldn't she want us knowing?" Nami asked. "Not the rest of the crew, just you," Zoro corrected. Nami's eyes went wide. "Why the hell wouldn't she want me to know?" Nami asked, shocked. "She can breathe underwater because her biological father was a merman. A shark," Zoro explained. "So she didn't want me to know because her father," Nami said, realization dawning on her, "is Arlong".

Sanji turned around suddenly, hearing the door slam. "Forest, what's wrong," he asked concerned. "Zoro just gave away my secret," she answered. "Which one?" he asked. She seemed to have many secrets. "About me being able to breathe underwater," she said, lowering her head. Sanji could see she was clearly upset. "Well, the truth was bound to come out sooner or later," he said, picking her up and holding her close. "I would have preffered that it had been later," she said, her eyes filling up with tears. Sanji gently rubbed her back as the tears began falling. "It's alright, Forest. It doesn't make any difference," Sanji said calmly. "Yes it does, Sanji. Nami's going to hate me," she sobbed quietly. "Why would Nami hate you?" he asked, confusion apparent in his voice. "Because," Forest explained, "My biological father is Arlong. Th-that's why I can breathe underwater. I'm h-half mermaid shark," she choked out, the sobs shaking her entire body.

"Forest, I already knew," Sanji confessed, "Zoro had told me. That's not something you can choose. It doesn't change who you are, or how we feel about you". Forest looked up at him. Her tears had stopped, but her eyes were bloodshot. "You don't see me any differently, but that doesn't mean Nami won't," she replied, "After what Arlong did to her, how could she ever care about me?" Nami stomped into the galley, and she seemed angry. "Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked, a little harsher than she meant to. Forest turned away, not wanting anyone else see her cry. "I'm sorry, Nami. I understand if you don't want to see me again," she said, keeping her voice even and low. "Why do you insist on keeping secrets from us. Don't you trust us?" she asked the girl. Forest turned and looked her in the face. "You don't hate me?" Forest asked quietly. "Why would I hate you?" Nami asked seriously. "Because I'm related to the one who hurt you," Forest answered, as though it were obvious. "Forest, that's not something you have a say in. Hell, I don't even know who my biological parents are," she smiled, her features softening, "It doesn't make any difference. In fact, you being able to breathe underwater is a good thing. If one of these idiot devil fruit users goes overboard, we'll just send you in to get them".

Forest smiled softly, glad that it really didn't make any difference to them who her parents were. Good thing, too. Biologically speaking, both her parents sucked. Sanji set her down and started making something. "Sanji, what are you making?" Nami asked. They had already eaten. "Forest wanted to have a tea party," he replied simply. Forest's face lit up. "It will take a while to get everything ready. Why don't you go have fun," Sanji suggested. Forest ran onto the deck. Luffy turned with a big grin on his face. "Hey Forest! Do you want to play a game?" he asked innocently. Ace had been standing next to Luffy talking about what had happened on the island. Forest quickly hid behind Ace's legs. For some reason, she always got shy around Luffy. She clung to Ace's shorts as she violently shook her head. Ace smiled as he picked her up. "What's the matter honey?" he asked softly, as Luffy began to frown. She just shook her head and hid her face in his shoulder. "She always does that around me," Luffy said, still completely at a loss for why she did that. "I see," Ace replied, trying his best to pull Forest away from her hiding spot while still holding her.

"What?" Forest asked quietly, looking at Ace. "Why don't you like me?" Luffy asked, drawing her attention to him. Forest looked over to reply. She looked into his dark eyes, his look was one of slight confusion, and he seemed a little hurt. She only acted this way around him. 'He is pretty cute' she thought to herself. 'Yeah, Sanji and Ace are quite good-looking as well' the voice in her head answered. 'Why does Luffy always looked so confused?' she wondered. 'Because whenever he asks you a question, you just stare at him instead of answering' the voice offered. Forest turned red at the realization that she was, once again, staring. She turned and buried her face into Ace's shoulder once again. Zoro walked up and pried Forest out of Ace's arms. "I'll take her," Zoro offered. Luffy stretched out and snatched Forest away from him. "I want to spend time with her. You and Sanji are the only ones she's been spending time with," Luffy argued, holding the girl to his chest. "That's not true. She went shopping with Robin and Nami earlier," Zoro shot back, reaching out for his sister. "So then it's my turn," Luffy pulled back, refusing to give the three year old back. Luffy was holding her rather close. Forest couldn't stop the blush from creeping up to her face.

She felt like her face was on fire. How could he not feel the heat radiating from her? Zoro sighed, admitting defeat. It was true she hadn't been spending much time with the rest of the crew. Was it his fault she preferred to be around him and Sanji? "Fine, you guys can spend some time with her. I'm going to go take a nap," he said, wandering off. Luffy grinned triumphantly. He still held Forest close to his chest. He could feel the heat coming from her face, but he didn't want to pull her away with the rest of the crew there. He could tell she was embarrassed about something. Ace had wandered off and was talking to Usopp and Franky about something. Luffy walked over to the trees where they wouldn't be seen. He sat down and set Forest on his lap facing him. "You don't have to be shy around me, Forest," he reassured her, "You always let Sanji, Zoro, and Ace hold you". Forest looked up at him, trying to regain her composure. "I'm more familiar with them. I met Ace years ago, Zoro is my brother, and I've spent enough time around Sanji to be comfortable around him," Forest explained. "You spend so much time with them, how are you supposed to get comfortable around the rest of us?" he asked innocently. Forest opened her mouth, only to close it again. She didn't have an answer for that. Instead of trying to find one, she just looked into his dark eyes.

Luffy frowned again. 'Why does she always do that?' he asked himself. 'He's got really pretty eyes' Forest thought, not realizing that she had matched brain waves with him. Luffy's eyes widened. He remembered Robin had said Forest could communicate telepathically, but he hadn't realized what that meant. Forest's eyes also widened and she turned thet same shade of red as Luffy's vest. She quickly hid her face in her hands. 'Oh my FUCKING god! I did NOT just do that!' she thought to herself, making sure she was not communicating with anyone. Luffy chuckled softly as he pulled her close. "Coming from someone with amazing green eyes like yours, that means a lot," he said, pulling her into a hug. Needless to say, this did not help her embarrassment go away. Ace came over, making sure he didn't draw attention to himself. "What's going on over here?" he asked, seeing Forest hiding her face. "She's embarrassed," Luffy said honestly. "What happened?" Ace seemed a little concerned for her. "I want to die right now," Forest mumbled, her voice even more muffled from being hidden in Luffy's vest. She felt she might even cry from how embarrassed she was. Ace just smiled and left the two alone. Forest probably didn't want anyone to see her right now.

"Soo~... you can breathe underwater?" Luffy asked, trying his best to change the subject. Forest merely nodded, keeping her face hidden. "But it doesn't look like you have any gills," he pointed out. "Behind my ears," she answered, still refusing to let anyone see her face. Luffy pulled her hair aside to reveal her gills. He stared, fascinated, before promptly poking them. "Please don't do that," Forest said, pulling away from him. Her face was back to its normal color. Luffy looked at her and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. Forest quickly averted her gaze as her face started to turn pink. "So, did you want to play a game?" Luffy asked suddenly. Forest shook her head gently. She wasn't really in the mood to play. Luffy sat in silence for a few moments. He wanted to spend time with her, but he was quickly becoming bored. "Luffy," Forest said quietly. "What is it?" Luffy asked, trying to keeping his mind from wandering. He didn't do well with sitting still for extended periods of time. "Do you hate me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Luffy stared at her, completely shocked at the question. "Why would I hate you?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Because I'm related to Arlong. I lied to you. I keep avoiding you. There are plenty of reasons...," her voiced trailed off.

Luffy pulled her close to him again, running his fingers through her hair. "You were afraid of being judged. I know you have problems trusting others, and from what I've heard, you have reasons to. I'm not gonna blame you for that, but you need to understand that you can trust us," he reassured her. She relaxed in his arms, clinging to his vest. She knew she had trust issues. "You catch on to a lot more than you let others think," Forest pointed out. "Only when it's important," he responded. Forest gently pushed away from him. She was beginning to feel sleepy, but she didn't want to miss her tea party. She looked up into Luffy's face and smiled. "What?" he asked. Forest jumped up and pushed him down. "You're it!" she yelled, running away. Luffy grinned as he stretched out and easily tagged her back. "Awe... no fair," she pouted. she quickly looked around and found Ace. "Daddy," she called, running up to him. Ace turned and smiled. He got down to her level. "What is it sweetie," he asked gently. Forest threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running away, giggling. "You're it, daddy," she called back. Zoro had come back onto the deck at that moment. His eyebrow was twitching.

Sanji came out carrying everything for the tea party. "Alright Forest! I'm all finished," he called, setting everything down. Sanji had made several different kinds of pastries along with two different kinds of tea. Forest ran up and jumped straight into his arms. "Thank you Sanji!" she yelled, giving him a hug. Sanji laughed as he hugged her back and set her down. Zoro kept in the shadows, watching everything happen. He felt a little out of place. Ace and Sanji seemed to be great interacting with the child, especially since she was definitely acting like one right now. He, on the other hand, seemed awkward around the ball of energy. 'I don't know why. I am her brother, I should be the one she's closest to' he thought to himself. He watched as Nami and Robin joined the party. They also seemed to take to the girl effortlessly. Forest grabbed Chopper and insisted he sit by her. Her face lit up and she started clapping when Brooke started playing. Usopp started off on one of his stories as Luffy, Forest, and Chopper listened intently. Ace stood behind her with one hand on her shoulder, talking with Franky while Sanji served everyone. Everyone seemed happy and relaxed. He turned and wandered below deck. Everyone was there, except...

"Where's Zoro?" Forest asked, looking around. Everyone stopped talking as she pointed out his absense. "He said earlier he was gonna take a nap," Luffy answered. "Daddy, can you go get him?" she asked, looking up at Ace. "I don't think tea parties are his thing. We should just start without him," Sanji said, drawing her attention to him. He seemed a little irritated about something. "I'm not starting without my brother," she replied, her voice laced with bitter danger. Ace smiled as he went below to find the swordsman. He quickly found him in the library, which meant he was probably looking for the mens quarters. "Hey, Forest wants to have a tea party," he said, "she wants you there". Zoro turned to look at him. "Why would she want me there? She seemed to be just fine with everyone else," he replied, failing to keep the bitterness and sadness out of his voice. Ace walked over to him. "Zoro, you're her brother," Ace started. "And you're her 'daddy', remember?" he shot back. He hadn't meant to snap at Ace, he was just feeling, well, left out. "Just leave me alone," Zoro sighed, turning away. "She refuses to start without you," Ace said. Forest ran into the library, glad that she had found the right room. She was too impatient waiting for Ace to bring her brother. "Zoro, come on! We're gonna have a tea party," she exclaimed, running up to him.

"Tea parties aren't my thing. You go on without me," he answered, keeping his voice low. She ignored him, grabbing his hand and dragging out anyway. "Oi. Didn't you hear me?" he snapped, following anyway. "I heard you," she answered simply. "Then why are you dragging me around?" he asked, his annoyance rising. "Because I'm not giving you a choice. I love you and I want you to be there," Forest stated. Zoro followed in silence. He couldn't find anything that would be a relevant arguement to that. They emerged back on deck. Zoro looked to where Forest had been sitting. Luffy was on one side, and Chopper on the other. "I'm gonna sit on your lap," Forest told him, already knowing what he was wondering. They joined everyone as Sanji started serving, keeping quiet the whole time. Forest kept calling Ace 'daddy' and refused to start anything before her brother was there. It seemed she was growing a bit distant from him. Usually she would come in halfway through him making something and insist on 'helping' him. True, she didn't do a lot of helping, but he liked having her in there talking to him. Sanji made himself a plate and turned to go into the galley. "Sanji, where are you going?" Forest asked innocently. "I just need to think about some things," he replied taking another step. "Think about them later. Right now, you have to spend time with me," Forest demanded.

Sanji smiled as he took a seat next to Robin. "It seems this girl causes jealousy among our nakama," Robin pointed out. She had noticed everything, Luffy insisting he spend time with her, Zoro watching from the shadows, Sanji's irritation at her bond with Ace and Zoro... "I don't know what you're talking about," Sanji replied, although his tone said otherwise. "You are not the only one," she smiled. Sanji turned and stared at her, surprise written all over his face. "She enjoys spending time with all of us," she continued, "try to understand how the rest of us feel. She mostly spends time with you". Sanji looked down at his food. True she did spend a lot of time with him, but was it his fault she liked being around him? He looked over at her. She was attempting to feed Zoro a bite from her position on his lap. Everyone laughed as she missed and ended up smearing frosting all over his mouth. Zoro smiled as he licked it off. He scooped up some frosting with his finger and smeared it on Forest's nose. She crinkled her nose, causing Luffy to laugh. Forest glared at him before grabbing a handful of the sticky stuff and smothering Luffy's face with it. Sanji smiled as he made his way into the galley. He could see where this was going, and he needed to get everything to clean it up.

Forest squealed as everyone started grabbing handfuls of cake and frosting. She laughed as everyone became covered in the sticky sweet stuff. She got hit in the side of the neck. She tried to wipe it away. 'Great, it's in my gills. This will be fun to get out' she thought to herself. She saw Sanji walk out, still clean, holding towels, a broom, and a mop. "Okay guys, I think we're done," she said, raising her voice. No one heard her. 'Fine, I'll do this the easy way' she thought bitterly. She ran over to Zoro and grabbed his hand. Zoro picked her up, smiling. "It's time to stop. I've got frosting in my gills now," she told him. "EVERYONE STOP!" Zoro bellowed. Everyone froze instantly, turning their attention to him. "That's enough. Let Sanji clean up," he said, taking Forest below deck to get cleaned up. "I think we all need to get cleaned up as well," Robin said, pulling as much cake and frosting out of her hair as she could. Yes, even Robin had taken part in the food fight. They all took turns using the shower. Sanji came down after he got everything cleaned up. Zoro, Forest, Robin, and Nami were still waiting and covered in pastries. Zoro was gently trying to get as much frosting out of Forest's gills as he could.

"That's not good," Sanji said, walking up to them. "It's okay, Zoro knows how to get it out," Forest assured him. "How does he know how to get it out?" Sanji asked. Had she gotten things into them before? Forest turned her attention to the floor. "When we were young, the neighborhood kids would throw mud at her. It constantly got in her gills," Zoro explained. "Why didn't they like her?" Sanji asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure if either of them wanted to talk about it. Ace and Luffy came out of the shower, both clean and in clothes for the night. Neither Robin nor Nami moved to take thier turn. Forest looked up at them, realizing they wanted to hear the story as well. Zoro noticed where her attention was and sighed. "Because she was different. She has unusually large eyes, gills, and she always knew what they were thinking. It scared them," Zoro explained, "They had tried to throw her in the ocean to drown her once. She was a better swimmer than anyone else,and it freaked them out". Forest had fixed her gaze back on the floor.

Ace bent over to give her a hug, but she backed into her brother's arms. "I'm still dirty," she said. Ace smiled. "Then you should probably get in the shower. Do you need help?" he asked kindly. Forest turned away and nodded. She really didn't want to have help, but she couldn't see to get her gills cleaned. "Who would you rather have help you?" Sanji asked. She was twenty after all. "Zoro," she stated, as if it were obvious. Zoro picked her up and closed the door behind them. He started the shower before turning to her and helping her get out of the sticky clothes. "Aren't you gonna get undressed?" she asked innocently. "We're not kids anymore," Zoro pointed out. Sure, they took baths together when they were young, but they were grown up now. Well, at least Zoro was. Forest turned away, feeling her heart sink. She knew he was right. He wasn't a child, and neither was she, even if she was in the body of one. That made it okay for her, but not for him. Zoro sighed as he stood and started taking his clothes off. "I thought you said..." Forest started. "I know what I said," Zoro snapped. He didn't mean to be harsh with her, especially since he was more mad at himself. Sure, they weren't kids anymore, but did it matter that much?

Forest ran over and climbed into the shower. Zoro followed her and sat down under the running water. He grabbed a washcloth and got it wet. "Come here," he ordered. Forest stood in front of him with her back to him. He started cleaning out the rest of the goop. After he was finished he started washing her hair for her. "Uh, you know I can do that much myself, right?" she asked. Zoro smiled. "I know," he said simply. She let him rinse her hair before turning around and putting much more shampoo in his hair than it needed. "You're wasting it," Zoro scolded. Forest smiled and instead started lathering it. She giggled as the shampoo started running down his face. "I told you you used too much," Zoro said, trying to keep it out of his mouth. "It wouldn't be all over your face if you weren't right under the water," Forest argued. Zoro smiled and rinsed his hair out. Forest started pulling on his arm. "Okay, now get out from under the water," she ordered. Zoro picked her up so he could get out of her way. As soon as he was out of the water, Forest grabbed the conditioner and started smothering his hair. "Oi, I don't use that stuff," Zoro said, trying to get it out of his hair. "Yeah, I can tell. You need to use it," Forest argued. Zoro sighed in defeat as Forest started applying it to her own hair. He set her down and grabbed another washcloth so they could get the rest of themselves clean.

They came out of the shower, dressed for bed. Robin and Sanji watched them come out, though they seemed to feel a bit uneasy about something. "What is it?" Forest asked noticing their apprehension. "You guys took a shower together?" Sanji asked hesitantly. Nami, Luffy, and Ace looked at him confused. "Yeah, so?" Luffy asked. "They are siblings after all," Nami pointed out, "Nojiko and I always took showers together". "But that's different," Sanji argued, "You're both girls". Robin nearly smiled. "Cook-san and I never had siblings," she explained. "It's not that big of a deal," Zoro said, rolling his eyes. Forest lay her head on his shoulder watching everyone. She was relaxed from the shower and it was starting to get late. "We should get cleaned up now," Robin said softly, turning towards Nami. Nami smiled and closed the door behind them. "Zoro, I can walk," Forest said sleepily. Zoro set her down and left for his room in the crows nest. Forest rubbed her eyes and started stumbling after her brother.

Sanji smiled as he picked up the girl who was already half asleep. "Did you want to sleep in the library?" he asked quietly. Forest shook her head softly. "Zoro," she mumbled. Sanji smiled again and carried her up to her brother. Zoro was already asleep on the bed. Sanji set her down next to her brother and turned to walk away. "Sanji, don't leave. Please," Forest mumbled groggily. "We talked about this before, Forest," Sanji whispered, turning to face the girl. "But I want to be with you AND Zoro," she argued. Sanji sighed as he climbed into the bed. "If I get thrown out of this bed again, this will never happen again," he told her. Forest smiled as she snuggled between the two men. Zoro put his arm protectively around Forest and Sanji ran his fingers through her hair. Forest sighed softly. She was tired, but she couldn't make herself fall asleep. She turned over and started shaking her brother gently. "Hm," Zoro mumbled, refusing to even open his eyes. "I can't sleep," Forest said. Zoro sighed and began singing her lullaby. Sanji, who was still awake, smiled. He would never admit it aloud, but the marimo actually had a pretty good voice. Forest smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

Forest woke up early the next morning. She climbed out of bed carefully and tiptoed down to the deck. Normally she didn't wake up early, but when she did, she liked to watch the sunrise. As she inhaled the fresh morning air, she couldn't help but feel some sort of de ja vu. Back up in Zoro's room, Zoro was slowly waking up. He reached up and ran his fingers through silky hair. Opening his eyes he realized that it wasn't his sister's hair. He sighed softly, withdrawing his hand. He sat up and looked around. That little brat had done it again. He looked back to the sleeping cook. He got out of bed, careful not to wake the blond, and silently crossed the floor, heading down to the deck. He looked around quickly, unable to find her anywhere. He walked back up to the room and sat down on his bed. He grabbed Sanji's shoulder and gently tried shaking the cook awake. "Oi. Sanji, wake up," he whispered. "Mm. What is it?" Sanji asked, trying to force himself to wake up. "Forest isn't here, and I can't seem to find her. She isn't on the deck anywhere," Zoro explained quietly. Sanji sighed loudly as he began stumbling towards the door. Zoro followed close behind.

Sanji took three steps down before, half asleep, he ended up tripping over the fourth step. He could feel himself falling, but his reflexes were a bit delayed this morning. He braced himself for the pain he was sure would come. Instead he felt something grab him around his waist. He looked up to see Zoro holding him with one arm, the other on the wall for support. Zoro sighed as his eyebrow started to twitch. This idiot cook was going to get himself hurt. He bent over and picked Sanji up, carrying him bridal style. "No, I can walk," Sanji argued, sounding a little more whiny than he would like to admit. "You nearly fell down, obviously you can't," Zoro retorted. "Noo~," Sanji whined, kicking his legs a bit. He was too tired to really put up much of a fight. Instead, he put his arms around Zoro's necked and nuzzled close to him, going back to sleep. By the time they actually got on the deck, Sanji was pretty much asleep. "Oi. You're not exactly helping much," Zoro scolded. Sanji sighed; he just wanted to sleep right now, and he had to admit, the marimo was rather comfortable. And warm. "Help me look for her or I'm going to drop you," Zoro threatened. Sanji lazily pointed towards the galley, or more swung his arm in that general direction. Zoro shook his head as he made his way across the deck.

He entered the galley to find Forest... cooking. "What are you doing?" Zoro asked quietly. Forest turned and smiled at him. "I'm making breakfast today," she answered simply, keeping her voice low, "Why are you carrying him?" Zoro looked down at the sleeping cook in his arms. "He was supposed to be helping me find you, but he nearly fell down the stairs. It wasn't safe to let him walk on his own," Zoro whispered. Forest giggled softly. "Go put him back in bed then come help me. We'll let him sleep in for once," she commanded. Zoro did as he was told, gingerly putting the blond back in his bed. Zoro covered him with the blankets before heading back down to the galley.

"So what are we making?" Zoro asked, no longer keeping his voice down. The sun was already over the horizon and the rest of the crew would be up soon.

**Hope you guys liked it! Don't know when the next chapter will be out, so just bear with me. Meanwhile, I do have my other story, and it is much easier to get chapters out for 'Ask the Crew', so feel free to ask questions!**


	24. Forced Vacation

**Hey guys, so I know that I know that I've been gone for... ever. Sorry about that, things have been down right chaotic in my life. Anyway, I did manage to get the next chapter out. I know it's not much, not a whole lot of action, but it's something. Hope you guys enjoy it anyway ^.^;**

"So what are we making?" Zoro asked, no longer keeping his voice down. The sun was already over the horizon and the rest of the crew would be up soon.

"Bacon, eggs, toast, and pancakes. It won't be as good as Sanji's cooking, I'm sure, but it'll be alright," Forest answered. Zoro smiled as Forest began pouring the pancake batter into a skillet. "What?" Forest asked, not turning away from her work. "Just a flashback to our childhood," Zoro replied, shaking his head. Forest smiled as she remembered. Zoro would get up every morning to make her breakfast, although it was usually just eggs and toast. He would always have her place set and insist on pulling her chair out for her. Looking back now, when they were little, Zoro would treat Forest almost as if she were fragile. "I miss those days," Forest admitted. Zoro smiled. "Me too," he said softly, finishing the bacon and toast. Forest quickly scooped up the rest of the eggs and pancakes as the sound of footsteps came bounding towards them.

"Hey Sanji, is breakfast...," Luffy called, entering the galley, "you're not Sanji". Zoro started setting the table as the rest of the crew started coming in. "Sanji's still sleeping. Zoro and I made breakfast today," Forest explained as she set a plate aside for the cook. She and Zoro set the food on the table as everyone quickly started serving themselves. Everyone kept their food guarded with the exception of Forest. It seemed Luffy had learned his lesson about trying to take her food. After breakfast everyone went out on the deck to enjoy the nice weather they were getting.

Forest ran up and started pulling on Ace's shorts. "What is it, honey?" he asked softly. "Zoro and I made the food. We shouldn't have to clean up too," she complained. Ace smiled as he stood up straight. "Oi! Luffy, Usopp. Go do the dishes," Ace commanded. Luffy and Usopp grudgingly sulked into the galley. Ace followed behind them. "Aren't you gonna play with me?" Forest asked quietly. "I'm going to clean up the rest of the mess. Besides, I have to make sure they don't destroy the kitchen," Ace explained, turning back to look at her.

Zoro came out of the galley carrying the plate Forest had set aside. Forest smiled and chased after her brother as Ace went to supervise Luffy and Usopp. Zoro picked up Forest as he made his way up to his room. "Good thing you remembered to make him a plate," Zoro said. Forest smiled as they entered the room. Zoro set her down and handed her the plate. "You should give it to him," Forest argued, handing the plate back to her brother. Zoro's eyebrow started to twitch. He knew she just wanted them to get along better, but bringing Sanji breakfast in bed was pushing things a little too far.

"Awe, come on," she said quietly. Zoro sighed in defeat as he made his way towards the bed. He sat down quietly and gently shook the cook's shoulder. Forest carefully hid herself behind some weights so neither of the men would see her. "Mm... what is it?" Sanji muttered. He opened his eyes to see the sunlight pouring in through the window. 'How late is it?' he asked himself. He turned over to see Zoro holding a plate of food out to him. "How... who cooked?" he muttered, not knowing how to thank the swordsman. "Me and Forest. She wanted to let you sleep in," Zoro explained quickly. Sanji looked up at him in surprise.

"Oh... well... th-thank you," he stuttered. Zoro grunted in reply. "You're supposed to say 'you're welcome'," Sanji explained, as if speaking to a child. "What?" Zoro said, his voice laced in irritation. "I said 'thank you'. You're supposed..." Sanji began. "I don't need you to explain it to me," Zoro snapped. "Hey, I'm trying to be nicer for Forest's sake. You think I find it any easier to say 'thank you' to you?" Sanji confessed. Zoro sighed as his head started pounding. "You're welcome," he muttered. Sanji smiled softly. He was actually kinda glad that Zoro was making an effort. Even if it was just for Forest, Sanji was glad things were better between them, not just constant fighting. "So, why didn't Forest bring it up to me?" he asked, taking a bite of his food.

Zoro looked around and his eyebrow started twitching. Looks like she had managed to sneak out of the room. "She insisted I be the one to bring it up," Zoro said. Well, it was half true. "Do you think you could get me something to drink?" Sanji asked tentatively. Zoro looked a little irritated, but turned away and stood up. "Sure, what do you want?" he said calmly. "Milk, please," Sanji answered, a little surprised that Zoro didn't take a swing at him. Zoro left quickly and returned with a glass of milk. He hadn't even noticed Forest hiding, watching the two of them. "Thanks," Sanji said, taking the glass from him. "You're welcome," Zoro replied, reminding himself that this was for Forest.

Zoro turned to leave the room and Sanji could feel his heart sink, though he couldn't understand why. "Do you think we can really get along better?" Zoro asked suddenly. Sanji looked up at him in surprise. "Well, we're not constantly fighting anymore. Do you really care if we do though?" Sanji asked nonchalantly. "I...," Zoro began. 'Forest, a little help. I'm no good at talking about how I feel' Zoro thought, hoping his sister would hear his thoughts. 'Well, what's the worst that can happen?' Forest replied. Zoro smiled. He somehow knew she would be there for him.

"I... was actually hoping... we could be..." Zoro stumbled over his words, not quite articulate when it came to these things. "Friends?" Sanji finished for him. Zoro refused to face the blond. He knew it was completely unlike him to act this way. Sanji could see the swordsman was having trouble with this, but he was impressed that he actually had enough courage to come out and say something like that. Sanji finished his food and stood up. "Stupid marimo," he chuckled softly, "when you put your mind to it, I don't think there's anything you can't do". He walked over to him and handed him the empty dishes. "We'll see how things go. Okay?" he replied, his voice much softer than usual. Zoro turned and left to put the dishes away, not wanting the cook to see the small smile he couldn't keep off his face.

Sanji smiled and followed after Zoro a minute later. Forest still sat, leaning against the weights in her hiding position. "Well, that was a bit interesting," she said to herself, smiling. The two were getting along better even when she wasn't there. She silently followed after them, careful not to follow too close. She emerged back on the deck to find that no one had noticed her gone. She made her way over to Nami's trees and settled herself down in the shade. 'A nap sounds good right now' she thought to herself. "Forest! Come play a game with us!" Luffy yelled. 'So much for that' the voice in her head told her. Luffy came bounding over to her. "Luffy, I just want to rest right now," Forest explained gently. "Awe, but I'm booored~," Luffy complained. "Luffy, I really..." Forest began. Luffy picked her up suddenly and ran towards Usopp. "Come on, it'll be fun," Luffy promised. Forest tried to push herself out of his grasp, but was obviously much weaker than the captain.

"Luffy, I don't want to play," Forest said sternly. Luffy sat down with Forest in his lap. "We won't play tag, I promise," Luffy exclaimed. "Well then... what are we playing?" Forest asked hesitantly. Luffy said nothing, but got a huge grin on his face. "Usopp, Chopper! Grab a blanket! I have an idea!" Luffy called. Forest stared at him, a little worried as to what Luffy's idea was. Everyone turned their heads when Forest started squealing with laughter. Chopper had transformed into his heavy point for their game. Chopper, Luffy, and Usopp each held onto the edge of the blanket they had brought out. Forest was in the middle of the blanket, being tossed into the air. Everyone began smiling listening to the sound of the little girl's laughter. Everyone, that is, except Ace.

"Oi, Luffy. I don't think that's really safe," Ace called, approaching the group. "Eh? Why not?" Luffy asked, not paying attention. He pulled up on the blanket much faster than the other two, sending Forest flying straight towards Ace. Ace caught the young girl who was still laughing. "Luffy, you need to be more careful. You could have seriously hurt her," Ace reprimanded. "Daddy, it's okay. I'm fine," Forest reassured him. Ace sighed as he set her back on the ground. Forest ran, still laughing, straight into Luffy's arms. "Throw me in the air!" Forest laughed. Luffy smiled as he gladly tossed the girl in the air. Forest squealed as she came back down. "Now throw me to daddy," she commanded. Luffy willingly threw her over to his brother. Ace smiled as he caught the girl and held her high over his head. Forest giggled as she put her arms out, imitating a flying motion. "Now to Zoro," she said excitedly. Ace gently tossed her over to Zoro, who had been standing watching them play.

"Zoro, throw me as high as you can!" Forest yelled, putting her arms up. Zoro smiled as he got down into a crouching position. Seeing this, Sanji and Ace both moved to stop him. It was too late, as Zoro used all his strength to send the girl soaring far up into the sky. "Zoro!" Ace and Sanji called out in unison. "What?" Zoro asked innocently, keeping his gaze fixed above him. "You idiot marimo! She could get hurt," Sanji yelled, pulling back to swing a kick at the swordsman. Zoro put his arms back up as Forest came plummeting down. He easily caught the small child gently in his arms. Forest giggled wildly as she looked over at Sanji. "Sanji, what are you doing," she asked. "Nothing," Sanji replied, lowering his leg. "I saw an island close by," Forest said, turning her attention back to her brother. "We could always use more supplies," Nami said, joining them, "We should be there in about fifteen minutes".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~LinE~BreAKeR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The crew broke off into groups. Sanji was paired with Luffy, Nami with Usopp and Chopper, and Franky with Robin, leaving Ace and Forest. Zoro and Brooke both stayed on the ship. They all split up, going their own separate ways. Forest looked around once they got into town. Ace noticed they were getting a lot of dirty looks as they made their way through the town. A small stand suddenly caught Forest's eye. Ace smiled softly as he followed her gaze. "Did you want some ice cream, honey?" he asked sweetly. Forest looked up, her green eyes shining. Last time she had gotten some, she hadn't had a chance to eat it. "Really?" she asked. Ace laughed as he picked her up and headed over to the stand.

"Can we get a scoop of vanilla please?" Ace asked politely. "We don't serve pirates," the man spat, glaring at Ace, "or their filthy offspring". Forest buried her face in his shoulder as he turned and walked away. "It's alright Forest, some people are just like that," Ace said softly, rubbing her back. "I know," Forest said quietly. She really wanted ice cream, but she knew not everyone would welcome pirates to their island. "Is there something wrong here?" asked a deep voice behind them. Forest could feel Ace tighten his grip as she looked up over his shoulder. Standing right behind him was none other than Smoker. "Gee, I guess I have a stalker. Should I be flattered?" Forest shot, her words dripping with venom. Smoker ignored her and walked up to the ice cream stand. "One scoop of vanilla," Smoker said. Ace and Forest watched in disbelief as Smoker walked back to them and handed the ice cream to Forest. "Uh...," Forest didn't know how to reply. "What do you want?" Ace asked, holding Forest closer.

"I have no orders to capture you," Smoker stated. Just then, Tashigi came running into sight. "Captain Smoker, sir! The strawhats... " she stopped short, catching sight of Ace and Forest. "Tashigi, we have our orders," Smoker said glumly. "Yes sir," Tashigi replied, her demeanor softening. Forest concentrated on Smoker intently before bursting out laughing. "You've been forced to take a vacation?" Forest asked, still giggling. Smoker stared at the young girl in shock. "How did..." he started. "She is much smarter than she looks," Tashigi explained. "So you can't do a thing to us?" Ace asked smugly. Smoker's eye began twitching. "Thank you," Forest said suddenly. Smoker turned and glared at her. "For the ice cream. Thank you," she repeated, licking her treat. Smoker's features softened a bit. "You're welcome," he said curtly.

He turned and left, clearly irritated at being unable to do anything. Ace and Forest turned and headed back to the ship, where the rest of the crew was already waiting. "Well, the people here are rather rude," Nami complained. "And why is that?" Zoro asked. "It seems pirates are not welcome here," Robin replied. "Yeah, they refused to sell supplies to any of us," Sanji explained. Forest came running back onto the ship, ice cream dripping from her cone. "Hey guys! I got ice cream!" Forest exclaimed, holding out her melting treat to show them. Ace came walking up, smiling at the excited girl. "I guess the people are a little nicer to kids," Nami said. "Actually, Smoker bought it for her," Ace explained. Everyone tensed up at the mention of the marine. "It's okay. He can't do anything right now. He's being forced to take a vacation," Forest said, trying to eat her ice cream before it got all over her.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about him then," Nami said, "we can't get anything here. We might as well keep going". Forest looked up at her. "Could we go swimming first?" she asked shyly. "Half of us can't swim," Robin reminded her. "We could stay for an hour. Forest is half mermaid, she loves being in the water," Zoro argued. "I agree with Zoro on this," Sanji interjected. "Yosh!" Luffy yelled, "and we could play on the beach". "Alright," Nami smiled, "I'll go change into my swimsuit then". Sanji swooned at the idea. "Aye, Nami-swan! That's a great idea," Sanji said, twirling. Forest started pushing on Sanji's legs. "You too, Sanji. I want you to go swimming with me," she said, still pushing. Sanji smiled, turning his attention to the rather bossy child. "Alright, princess. I'm going," he laughed, heading for the men's quarters.

**So there we go. One more chapter done, hopefully I can get this thing rolling again. I know it wasn't exactly worth the wait... don't forget to review!**


	25. History

**I know it's been forever since I've had an update. Here it is finally. Is it short? Yes. I hope you guys like it anyway!**

What started as a short swim turned into a three hour beach party. Forest squealed as she won her second swimming race against Sanji. Nami and Robin lay on the beach under a large umbrella. Zoro sat on the beach watching Forest. Luffy, Chopper, Franky, and Usopp were playing volleyball. Three against one since Luffy could stretch. Brooke stayed on the ship playing the violin.

Forest came running up from the water towards Zoro. "Zoro, come play with me," she laughed, grabbing him by the arm. "No, you go swim with Sanji," he replied. "I want to have a race with both of you. Sanji keeps losing," she said, jumping up and down. Zoro smiled, knowing it was pointless to argue with her.

Ace watched carefully from a distance, making sure Forest was safe at all times. She had Zoro and Sanji with her, but Sanji had left her last time he was supposed to take care of her. Ace couldn't help but feel protective of the girl. She claimed him as her "daddy", not to mention he owed his life to her. If it wasn't for her, he would have remained dead. He was still having a hard time letting it sink in. He knew he had a time limit on his life. She had given years from her life to him, so he could live. 'Seventeen years' he thought to himself. 'I have seventeen years to live'. He couldn't help but smile as he watched Forest win her third race. In the body of a three year old, she could outswim full grown men. He wondered how fast she would be able to go after she was back to normal.

Zoro and Sanji laughed as Forest splashed around. "I need to go make lunch now," Sanji announced, heading back for the ship. Forest waved to him as he left. "So," Zoro started, "I don't really know anything about you anymore". Forest looked down. I hurt knowing that their lives had been so different and they didn't know much about each other. Eighteen years can change a person so much. "Well, I have a son who's about three now," Forest started, "his dad was a marine, but was killed by Arlong's crew. I've been raising him on my since then. I have very few friends, I sew dresses, I grew up on the streets, but I own a small house now. I may seem a little hardened at times, but my son is the reason I act like a child so much. When I was a child, I acted more like an adult. I had to grow up quickly in order to survive. I would steal to stay alive. When I was about ten, an old shopkeeper offered me a job and a place to stay". Zoro stayed quiet as she spoke. He felt guilty for not looking for her after the fire. Forest aligned her mind with his, and could feel his guilt.

"Zoro, you were five. You didn't know I had survived. It's not your fault," Forest explained. "I still should have looked. I could have found you, but I didn't look. I thought you and dad had died. I didn't leave for two years. I would keep going back to the house, hoping it had just been some kind of horrible dream, that you would be waiting for me," Zoro said, tears filling his eyes, "I couldn't believe you were gone. I had nothing left. You and dad were gone, June had died of a drug overdose hours before that. I had nothing left. After two years, I left. I couldn't stand being there anymore. All I would think about was you. You meant everything to me. After June had you, I was somebody. I was your big brother, the one you looked up to. And you were just... gone".

Zoro couldn't hold it in anymore. He hadn't cried after the fire. Eighteen years of pain and grief all came flooding back. He pulled Forest close, afraid that if he let her go, he would wake up to find she was never alive. "Zoro, it's okay," Forest whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks, "everything is fine now. We're together now, and that's what matters". "I never forgot you. I thought about you every day," Zoro sobbed, "on your eighteenth birthday, I wondered what kind of woman you would have been".

Forest held tightly to her brother. Being away from each other for so long had been heartbreaking. Being reunited was bittersweet. They had each other now, but had missed out on so much. Forest began sobbing uncontrollably. Zoro wiped away his tears and carried her to shore. Everyone stopped what they were doing as Zoro headed for the ship. "What happened? What's wrong with her?" Nami asked, concerned. "Reality," Zoro replied sadly. He kept walking as his sister wept into his chest. Zoro brought her up to his room and lay with her on the bed, rubbing her back in a feeble attempt to calm her.

Everyone was back on the ship. As they set sail, Forest continued to cry. "I sh-sh-shouldn't have l-l-l-left," she cried out. Zoro continued to rub her back. "It had to happen. If it hadn't, you wouldn't have your son, Ace would be dead, and I wouldn't know Luffy... everything would be different," he reassured her. Forest continued to cry for about five more minutes. Then her breathing evened out and the tears stopped. Zoro stopped rubbing her back and moved her hair out of her face. She had fallen asleep.

Zoro sighed and headed down to the galley. They had skipped lunch, so Sanji should be working on dinner. Once he entered the galley, he saw Sanji hunched over grinding his teeth. "Oi, Sanji, you okay?" he asked cautiously. "I'm fine," Sanji growled. Zoro went over and put his hand on his shoulder. Sanji hissed and pulled away. That's when Zoro noticed Sanji was wearing a very loose fitting shirt. "Sunburn?" he asked. "Yeah," Sanji replied. "I can put some aloe on it later for you," Zoro offered, turning away. Sanji turned and studied his features for a moment. "After dinner," he said as he began pulling things out to get to work.

**Okay, so it wasn't much, but a little insight into Forest's life. I have also decided to let you guys name her son! Just pm me about it, and I will set up a poll. Hang in there, hopefully I can get another update in a couple of weeks.**


	26. Denial

** Another chapter done. A special thanks to Vampchick2010 who will be helping me with the rest of this story! Hope you guys like it!**

Forest woke well after dinner time. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. It was already dark outside, but Zoro was nowhere to be seen. She quietly climbed out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs. Out on the deck, she tried to make out the shapes in the darkness. There was no moon tonight, making it hard to distinguish what was real and what was merely shadows. Forest crossed her arms, trying to keep warm. The night air was growing colder. Forest headed over to the galley where the light shone under the door.

She silently opened the door. She slipped in out of the cold, letting her eyes adjust to the light inside. She figured Sanji would still be up cleaning. She opened her mouth to speak but froze when she saw her brother. Zoro was standing behind Sanji, rubbing his shoulders and back slowly. Sanji appeared to be shirtless, but Forest couldn't see him past her brother. She crept closer to listen to what they were saying.

"You don't have to be so rough, stupid marimo," Sanji hissed. Zoro's eyebrow twitched. He would have liked nothing more than to slap the idiot cook's back, but he had told Forest he would try to be nicer to him. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be gentle," he said quietly. Sanji sighed. "I know, it's my fault anyway. I should have put on sunscreen," he replied. Forest could have squealed in delight, but she didn't want them knowing she was there. At least not yet. "Why don't you ever get sunburned?" the cook asked bitterly. "Because I'm not fair skinned like you," Zoro grinned. Sanji sighed in relief as the stinging and heat of the burn eased. Zoro had asked Chopper to make the burn ointment. It had a funny smell to it, but he had told Zoro that Sanji's sunburn would be healed by morning. "Thank you for doing this," Sanji said. He knew Forest wanted them to be nicer to each other, but he still found it a bit awkward not to be fighting with the swordsman.

"You're welcome," Zoro replied softly, putting the lid back on the jar of ointment. Sanji turned around to leave, but Zoro hadn't moved yet. They were face to face and a little too close. Sanji looked into Zoro's eyes, but Zoro refused to look the cook in the face. Sanji's heart was beating fast. Without even thinking about what he was doing, Sanji closed the gap between him and Zoro. He pressed his lips softly and hesitantly against the swordsman's. Before Zoro had time to react, the sound of chairs being knocked over caused them both to turn quickly.

Forest's eyes grew wide and she quickly untangle herself from the chairs. She fled as quickly as she could from the room with tears in her eyes. "Forest, wait!" both men called out, chasing after her. Forest darted up the stairs as fast as she possibly could, her brother and the cook both at her heels. She threw herself on the bed and pulled the covers over her head. "Forest, come here honey," Zoro said gently, pulling her from under the covers and holding her in his arms. "I'm sorry Zoro, I didn't mean to, I just wanted something to eat," she said, her voice shaky. Zoro ran his fingers through her hair. "You didn't do anything wrong Forest," he said.

Sanji quickly retreated back to the door. "I'll go make you something to eat," he said, quickly leaving the room. "I didn't know you two were together," Forest said, looking up at Zoro. "We're not," he replied, a bit harsher than he meant to. "But, back in the galley," Forest started. "I don't know what Sanji was thinking, but there is nothing going on between us," he snapped. He averted his gaze, looking bitterly out the window. Forest studied his features for a few minutes before speaking. "Is that what you want?" she asked innocently. Zoro's eyes widened in surprise. "What exactly are you saying?" he asked, turning his attention back to his sister. "I don't care of you're gay, Zoro. I'm just asking if you want to be with Sanji," she answered. "You were never one to judge others, but I'm not gay," Zoro insisted.

Forest smiled mischievously. "But would you be for Sanji?" she asked. "What are you, a matchmaker? No, I'm not interested in that stupid cook," Zoro smiled. Forest frowned. She didn't mind the thought of her brother and Sanji being together.

Sanji stood right outside the door, listening to the two siblings. He didn't know what he had been thinking when he kissed Zoro. He knew the swordsman was only being nice because Forest wanted him to be. He didn't even know how he felt about Zoro. Everything had just happened so fast. His heart sank when he heard Zoro say he wasn't interested at all. He took a deep breath before entering the room. "Here you go princess," Sanji smiled, handing Forest a bowl of hot soup and a sandwich. "Thank you, Sanji! It's getting cold outside," Forest beamed. She was thankful for something hot to eat. She wasn't very fond of cold weather. "So Sanji, why did you kiss my brother?" Forest asked, cutting straight to the chase. "Oh, um," Sanji stumbled, " I... I don't really know. I wasn't even thinking". He was a little flustered. Forest was very forward about it and he couldn't quite explain. Sanji avoided her gaze, his cheeks turning a light pink.

Zoro stared out the window, not wanting to be brought into this. He just wanted to forget the whole thing even happened. Forest looked back and forth between the two of them. She pouted slightly. Why did men have to avoid things all the time? They both refused to look at her or talk at all. Forest decided she didn't like being ignored. She checked to make sure they were both avoiding her gaze before she 'accidentally' spilled her hot soup between her brother's legs. The reaction was immediate. Zoro yelled as he quickly jumped up, knocking Sanji over. Seeing this as an opportunity, Forest swung her foot out, tripping Zoro. Sanji hit his head hard as Zoro fell right on top of him. 'That wasn't what I was trying to do,' Forest thought to herself, 'but this is better'. She calmly ate her sandwich as she watched the two men.

Sanji hissed, holding his head where it had hit the floor. "Are you okay?" Zoro asked hesitantly. "I think so," Sanji answered, avoiding his gaze. Something about looking into Zoro's eyes made his heart beat wildly, and he didn't want a repeat of what happened in the galley. "Do you want me to get Chopper?" Zoro offered. "I'll be fine once you get off me," Sanji whispered, his cheeks turning red. Zoro pushed himself up and held out a hand to help Sanji. Sanji took it, his own hand shaking. He didn't know when he started feeling this way about Zoro, but he realized he felt weak in the knees all of the sudden. He was sure his heart would come right out of his chest.

"Sanji, are you alright?" Forest asked, looking concerned. She quickly cleaned up the spilled soup. "Why don't you lie down, you don't look well," she advised. "No, I'll be fine," he insisted, turning to leave. Zoro put a hand on his chest. "Lie down Sanji, you look like you're going to faint," he ordered. Sanji laid down on the bed. "I'll be back," Forest said, taking the dishes down to the galley. 'What are you doing?' Zoro asked her, knowing she could hear his thoughts. 'Giving you a chance,' she replied as she descended the stairs, 'he obviously likes you, and I know you like him. Don't try to say you don't, I know you do'. Zoro sighed out loud. 'Really? And how is that?' he replied. 'Do you have a crush on him or not?' she shot.

"Zoro? I'm sorry about earlier," Sanji apologized, pulling Zoro's attention away from Forest. He walked over and sat next to the cook. He could accept the apology and go back to the way things were. But is that what he truly wanted? What if Forest is right? He looked down at the cook. His face was framed by curtains of golden silk, one deep blue eye avoiding his gaze. Zoro took a deep breath. He felt his mouth moving, but it was like someone else was saying the words. He didn't mean to say them, but it just fell out like verbal vomit. He could see Sanji's eyes fill with tears before he got up and left Zoro sitting there alone.

**Cliffhanger! Haven't done a good cliffhanger in a while. ^-^ Please don't hate me... Any guesses as to what Zoro said?**


End file.
